


Scavanged Renegade (Renegade Series: Part One)

by CallaMae



Series: Renegade Series [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:16:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 52,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5568754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallaMae/pseuds/CallaMae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eris Neme, a bounty hunter, finds the Resistance has placed a price on her head, leading her to Jakku. She's found by Rey, the only cause she'd ever consider fighting for. So when Rey finds herself in the middle of a war, Eris willingly follows. And if the kid isn't the death of her Eris knows the damn pilot she's gotta get back to the Resistance will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A shooting star. Rey smiled at her luck, closed her eyes, and made a wish. She wished for the same thing every time she saw the flicker of a star's tail darting past: to see her family again. So far it'd yet to come true. Especially on this night. The smile that had curled on her mouth slowly melted from her face as the star came closer. Closer. And closer still.

She rose to her feet as it began taking shape, following the burning ship with wide eyes as it plummeted to Jakku. And close behind was an X-wing fighter, still shooting. Rey ducked as they flew overhead covering her face as the wind threw a wall of stinging sand over her. She looked back in time to see the first ship make a more than haphazard landing as it crashed on the planet's surface.

It was enough for Rey to pull on her hood, sling her staff across her back, and climb atop her landspeeder. If she could get there fast enough she knew she'd be able to collect what was valuable before anyone else arrived. If she was right, and she often was, it was only a few minutes away.

What Rey hadn't anticipated was the X-wing's pilot still scouting the crash site. It forced her to stop, Jakku was barren the area around them mostly flat, she had nothing to hide behind should she be noticed. And if it weren't for the idea of profit she wouldn't have chanced it, she would've turned the speeder around and gone back to her home. She wouldn't have dared creep closer on foot; but burnt or not parts were still parts.

She assumed whoever had been in the first ship was dead, the side of it that struck the ground had caved in; though seeing it up close it didn't look so much like a ship as it did a detached pod. But from the way the orange-suited pilot flashed a small handheld light across the area around the site Rey realized whoever had been inside that pod had somehow gotten out.

The pilot wasn't leaving without a prisoner or a body, and this wasn't Rey's fight. Maybe if the pod hadn't been so wrecked she might've thought of trying harder, but she knew there wouldn't be much to scavenge or at least nothing worth the risk of it. So she turned back the way she'd come, keeping low to the ground, and quickly scurried back to her landspeeder. Any minute now she knew someone else was certain to arrive, drawn to the promise of treasure; she wouldn't be caught without weapon in the dark.

And then she heard it, a soft breathless moan; only it sounded more an injured animal. She almost didn't turn, knowing what she'd see and then what she'd do; this wasn't her fight, and an innocent person wouldn't have been shot down. But a small cough changed her mind. The sound alone was pitiful, the breath having been knocked out of them and was only now being caught again.

Rey turned to her left and saw what she'd first thought were only ripples in the sand, but upon further inspection and knowing there was someone out there did she see the shape of a body as it had rolled along the ground. Stupidly she followed it, and even more stupidly crept closer to where the pilot was slowly making his way around the ship; in a few minutes he'd look their way, and Rey would find herself a target. But still she continued, curiosity overpowering her, until she found what at first glance appeared to be an innocent lump in the sand.

It was a woman, human. She wasn't small but she looked small then, burrowed in the sand with only her blood stained face showing. She looked hurt, innocent, not worthy of the pain her furrowed brows indicated she was in. Rey looked back to the pilot to see he'd come around the ship and was broadening the search area, coming closer to where she knelt. Then she turned back to the woman to see her eyes fluttering, as though she felt Rey beside her.

"Help me," the woman pleaded in a whispered breath.

Rey stared hard down at her weighing her choices; leave without the possibly of being captured herself, or help this woman who might very well deserve to die. But the stars echoed in her eyes as she lay half conscious with her only hope hovering over her. For Rey there was only one choice; she grabbed the woman's wrists and began pulling her back the way she had come.

By the time the pilot found the tracks her body made as it was dragged across the sand it was too late, Rey sat atop her landspeeder with the woman hanging limply over her lap as they made their escape.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun woke her. It was bright, stifling even in the shade. As she blinked to clear her swirling vision her gaze settled on a metal sky, the sun streaking through frayed tarps set up in the place of a door. But what she noticed was the quiet, a quiet that came with nothing living surrounding her, and the stillness. She'd expected to be captured, to have woken inside a moving ship cuffed, possibly gagged because she was known to fight tooth and nail, or laying where she'd fallen in the sand exposed with nothing but the sky above her. She got neither.

Sitting up she felt the bruises all along her sides from where she'd hit the ground after ejecting; and she'd done it so late, hoping to not be seen by the damned pilot tailing her, she landed with almost the same force as the pod. She might as well have stayed in it for all the good it'd done her.

Yet there she was, wherever there happened to be. If she had to guess she'd wager it was an old ship, old from the rust, and ship because of the various metal pieces she saw partially buried in the sand outside. She sat half hunched leaning more on the side that hurt slightly less when she breathed. With each breath strands of hair were drawn to her nose tickling it gently, and she raised a hand to brush it out of her face. At the soft clinking of metal her gaze fell to her wrists to find a rusty chain knotted forcing her hands together. She followed the length of it to see it was wound around part of the ship's structure, and with a measured tug she knew it wasn't coming loose. She looked for what was next. It was an old chain, one of the links had to be loose or at least cracked. So she climbed to her feet, feeling her aching legs wobbling beneath her weight, and pulled her battered body as hard against the chain as she could giving a sharp jerk every now and again hoping it'd snap one of them.

She went on for several increasingly hopeless minutes, too stubborn to give up until she was left on her knees with sweat dripping down her back gasping for air to fill lungs that burned from the way her aching muscles squeezed too tight around her ribcage. She bent her body so her chest was pressed against her legs and her forehead rested on the metal of the ship's floor to cool. But already it was warming, whether from her exertions or from the sun burning the roof, and it did little else but make her sweaty forehead all the warmer.

After several quiet minutes the sand around the ship began to tremor, a slight vibration she felt through the metal against her temple, and she held her breath as she strained to hear what was passing close by. There wasn't much she could see of outside from behind the tarps, the ground a sliver of the bright sky, but nothing in the distance. Nothing to help prepare herself for who was so clearly coming toward her.

It was a landspeeder, she'd driven enough of them to be certain of it. And if she had to make a guess, because really a guess was all she could make, the person driving it was mostly likely whoever had saved her last night. Even though it made her blood boil to use the word 'save', it was none the less true; or else she would've woken on her way back to the Resistance where they believed her guilty enough to consider her a criminal. It didn't make her any more grateful, in fact she waited like a coiled spring as the engine cut out.

The face she saw when the tarp was pulled back was cloaked in white, wide goggles over their eyes, a white mask pulled up over their nose. She kept still as they stepped onto the ship, placing first their bag and staff against the wall, and then stepping closer to where she lay. "I know you're awake," a soft feminine voice said behind the mask. They made the mistake of kneeling beside her, of assuming she wouldn't bite the hand that proverbially fed her.

She swung her leg behind their feet knocking them on their back, and she lunged toward them grabbing the chain that bound her and wound it around their neck. While her 'savior' struggled to breathe she took the opportunity to search them for anything that would break the chain, a search made difficult by their thrashing body. A violent, desperate, kick landed square on her chin throwing her back, stilling her for several moments as she laid on her side seeing only black. It was enough of a chance for her masked jailor to free themselves and step back before her sense was regained.

Only her sense had been dislodged and the world was once more a mixture of swirls and stars, she could do no more than lie awaiting certain death. With blood spilling out of her mouth from where her teeth had been pushed into her lip she knew what a sight she was, easy prey – the kind she normally passed by and left to their misery. And she was in misery, having escaped one jail for another. The breath stilled in her at the feeling of something pressed firm against the side of her neck.

"Try that again and we'll see how much Unkar Plutt'll pay for you," that same female voice said from behind the mask, though it sounded younger this time as she spoke out of breath.

Turning her head and spitting a mouthful of blood on the floor she gave a wry bitter laugh. "If you're waiting for a thank you don't hold your breath." She grit her teeth as she pulled herself up against the wall to sit, her sides burning, her lungs burning, her face burning. Her whole body was a massive tired bruise. "Or better yet, why don't you go for it." Giving a bloody-toothed smile she leaned her head against the wall of the ship and closed her eyes trying to get her breathing under control, hoping it might lessen the pull on her sides – which had taken the brunt of her landing the night before. At the sound of movement she opened one eye no more than a slit and stared through her lashes as the other girl moved about the ship.

"Here."

Opening her eyes fully she looked up to see a canteen being offered. It was then she realized how dry her mouth was, her tongue feeling shriveled, her throat stuck closed; the thought, like a desert, nearly made her smile because she was sure the night before she'd choked on sand.

The woman was a sad sight holding the canteen in her bound hands, dried blood caked on her forehead and hair, fresh blood dripping down her chin, and now water pouring from the sides of her mouth as she gulped the water like she hadn't drunk in days. Rey pulled the mask off her face, unwinding the cloth wrapped around her head, and set it on a table. "I'm Rey," she greeted turning back to the woman to find her now watching closely. Rey didn't know how she'd missed it before, this woman was ready to strike at any moment, probably had been soon as she woke. "Are you hungry?"

"I'd rather be untied," she answered instead, her voice offering not even the possibility of kindness. It was hard as a stone, just as unyielding and sharp.

Rey was quick to shake her head as she grabbed a bowl. "If that's what you can do tied up I don't plan to find out how you'd behave free," she told her not unkindly, though by no means did her tone hold any warmth. Not when her throat still felt like the chain was wrapped around it; this woman would've killed her without asking questions. This was a mistake, one she was only just starting to regret.

She considered it, and the girl's wit at already knowing it was best to keep her under lock and key. "Then yeah, I'm hungry," she admitted reluctantly, realizing there was no current way out of this besides getting the kid to let her go. And since she'd gotten Rey to help her in the first place she felt fairly confident about her chances.  
She was given a bowl of water and a packet of green powder dumped in it as a means of food. Nothing about it resembled food, not even when Rey stuck her finger in it and swirled it around. It took her several moments too long to figure out what she was being given was a food portion, a poorman's food portion – but when it came together and formed what she thought might've been a biscuit she understood what she'd been given. It didn't make her any happier to eat it, not when she knew eating a mouthful of sand would taste about the same.

"That's all you'll get here," Rey told her at the sight of her turned up nose and hard eyes as she practically glared at it. "I suggest sucking it up. Besides, I only had enough for myself, I had to sell some of your things to get even half a portion, so in a way you bought it."

She turned to Rey sharply, her hands tightening around the bowl. "What exactly did you sell?" she asked reserving her anger until she knew just how angry to be.

"If I'd taken parts from your ship I would've gotten a lot more than half a food portion, but instead I saved you. You should be thanking me," Rey said quickly losing her patience. "I've got half a mind to drag you down to the Niima Outpost to find out if your head's worth more."

"Oh you're not gonna sell me," she told Rey brushing off her empty threat.

"I could," she replied stubbornly, knowing if it came down to she wouldn't be able to.

But she shook her head and raised the bowl she held in her chained hands. "You wouldn't a fed me." She set the bowl on the floor and slid it to where Rey stood. "I'm not hungry enough yet to eat that."

Rey happily took it from her, not knowing any other food, and she sat a good distance away from the woman – too far for the chain to reach. Rey got a good look at her then, the sun shining through the tarp illuminating her face. She was older than her, though not greatly, her hair though dirty was a very pale yellow, and she had just about the bluest eyes. "You never told me your name," she said simply.

If Rey hadn't been so young, so new seeming, she might've been more suspicious of why the girl wanted her name. But instead she answered in a dull short tone: "Eris."

With a nod Rey shoved food into her mouth, it'd been a while since she had more than one portion to eat a day and even then she didn't get one everyday. "Why was he hunting you? Was he with the Resistance?" she garbled around a full mouth.

Eris gave a short unamused laugh. "I'd assume so," was the only answer she had. Those days it seemed no one else cared about her besides the Resistance, granted most of her targets were people who aided them.

Rey paused midchew as she thought of what it could mean that the Resistance wanted her captured. "Are you with The Order?" she asked almost afraid of the answer, she wouldn't know what to do if it came back yes.

She laughed again, only this time it was softer more honest. "Don't choke kid," she said seeing Rey's eyes had widened at the thought of harboring the enemy. "I'm not with anyone."

"What does that mean?" Rey was quick to ask, not knowing much outside of Jakku.

Raising a shoulder Eris sighed. "I go where the money is," she said by way of answer. "Usually it's on someone's head."

Her eyes widened once more and her mouth fell open slightly as she realized what that meant. "You're a bounty hunter," she said mystified. "What's it like?"

A wry smirk curled one half of Eris' mouth, not many people responded so enthusiastically to that bit of information. "Depends on the job; sometimes I'm an executioner, other times I'm a hired gun, mostly I'm a jailer. Except now, now I'm the captive." She raised her hands and shook them so the chain would rattle, their repetitive clanking echoing her irritation.

But Rey only shook her head. "I'm not letting you go until I know you won't retaliate, or steal anything," she added for good measure. She knew as soon as Eris was free that chain would be around her own hands, and Eris would leave her there alone to rot – she had cold eyes, unforgiving.

Eris slumped back against the wall realizing of course it'd be harder than that to get the girl to release her. Nothing was ever easy, at least nothing of importance. "And when do you suppose that'll be?" she asked letting her head slump to the side to glare at Rey.

"That's for you to decide," Rey answered as though it was the simplest thing in the galaxy. But she quickly brushed that aside in favor of what all Eris had seen, of all she might know that Rey herself could only dream of. "What was your favorite job?"

At the naïve excitement in Rey's voice, and the childlike stare, Eris rolled her eyes. This kid was gonna force her to play nice, Eris didn't particularly like being nice.

"Wait," Rey said having a new, better, thought, "no, the most exciting job. Definitely the most exciting one."

There were so many things Eris wanted to say, threats she wanted to scream because maybe she could scare the kid into letter her go. But she forced herself to bite her tongue instead of Rey's. Playing nice, that's what was happening. "Will you let me go if I answer your questions?"

Without pause Rey answered; "I'd be more likely to consider it."

Which meant no. With a growl of a sigh Eris hit her head against the metal wall, a dull sounding clang, and gave in. This girl was gonna be the death of her.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day didn't go much better. Eris wasn't used to sleeping on anything but a bed, a luxury Rey quickly informed her she was fortunate to have; but Eris rather rudely reminded Rey that she was laying on a hammock rather than chained on the cold metal floor. The pair had gone to bed cross with each other, so much so Rey didn't even offer her a blanket.

Needless to say Eris was sore both physically and in spirit when the sun rose having gotten very little sleep. Rey found her sitting with her back to the wall, hands in her lap, legs stretched out, and her eyes to the ceiling. "What's for breakfast?" she asked startling Rey with her knowing she was awake.

"Depends on what I find," she answered climbing out of her bed and stretching. "Have you decided it can't get worse?"

Even though her eyes were already raised, Rey knew she'd rolled them. "I've decided I'm hungry," she responded tonelessly. "What happens if you don't find anything?"

"Then we don't eat," was Rey's straightforward answer.

Eris turned to the girl then, wondering if she really hadn't figured it out yet. "I could buy everything on the whole damn planet and still have credits to spend."

"I don't want your money," Rey told her.

Her interest peaked at Rey's sudden defiance, at her reluctance to have anything to do with the woman she now housed. "It finally hit you I kill people?" she asked teasing, though not out of fondness, there was a cruelty to it "Way things are now it's a kill or be killed kind of life. Caring's a waste of time. You wanna survive, kid, I suggest you suck it up." She sat back proud and arrogant as Rey quickly collected her things and left, thinking the sooner Rey realized that difficult truth the better her chances would be.  
What she hadn't considered was that it'd leave her alone. Normally Eris didn't mind, she was a solitary creature who preferred her own company. Normally Eris was free to go as she pleased, never needing to remain in one place longer than she wished. But she was bound on a short leash, unable to leave.  
She spent a good part of the morning aimlessly throwing herself against her restraints, or planting her feet firmly against the wall and pulling at the chain still hoping a link would come loose. They were useless efforts that left her out of breath and hunched over in pain with only bruised wrists to show for.

There wasn't much to look at, not like she could reach it anyway. Her chain had enough length that she could stand only a few feet from the far wall where Rey had slept, and she could just barely get around to the other side of the wall she was tied too before the links locked and her arms were pulled. Rey had little knickknacks, a handmade doll that looked an awful lot like an X-wing pilot in its orange jumpsuit, an old beat up helmet, small things Rey must have been tinkering with, and thousands of carved tallies. But there was nothing in reach she could use to get free. Not even holding tight to the chain as it wrapped around the corner of the ship's wall would it come loose. Whether or not it pained her to admit, and it did pain her so very greatly to her core to admit it, the kid was good. She wasn't going anywhere.

And so hours later when Rey returned she found Eris lying on the floor with her feet propped up on the wall, her ankles crossed, eyes closed. She almost looked peaceful, she almost looked innocent. Until she bluntly said, "took you long enough. Did you get any food?"

Rey found herself rolling her own eyes. "Only enough for one portion. I suppose you won't thank me for sharing it with you," she said having strongly considered not giving her anything out of spite.

With a drawn out sigh Eris forced herself into a sitting position, her sore muscles resisting the movement. "About as likely as you letting me go."

"I don't trust you," Rey was quick to say.

Eris smiled then, a slight frail thing – the most honest expression she'd worn. "Least you've got some sense then," she said taking the half Rey offered her, feeling how tense she was as if she thought Eris would try to attack her again.

Rey knew what she hadn't said, that she didn't think there was anyone to trust. She didn't know if she believed that, she didn't even know if she was afraid of Eris or ashamed by her curiosity of all the other woman had seen and done. She sat quietly eating her half of the portion, now melted back into a gelatinous goo she could visibly see Eris didn't enjoy. Each bite was forced, she chewed only as long as it took to be able to swallow it. Rey herself shoveled every last piece into her mouth and wouldn't have minded taking the sticky crumbs Eris had flicked away from her. A thought came to her as she watched Eris, as she studied her pale freckled face. _Caring's a waste of time_ , that's what Eris had told her earlier giving away more than she'd realized. "Is there no one you care for?" she asked watching Eris still though she didn't turn to Rey. "Is there no one to care for you?" Rey still wasn't given an answer, Eris only continued eating but her lack of disgust at what she put in her mouth gave her away – she was distracted, thinking, regretting her answer. "It sounds lonely," she said softly as she turned back to her empty plate, having just about licked it clean. She didn't expect a response, she was gathering that Eris wasn't a woman who spent much time contemplating emotion. So the sound of her voice had Rey turning to her surprised.

"It's a good way to survive," she said by way of answer, not wanting the pity. "No one to be used against you, no one to hold you back. You can be whoever you want to be."

"Who are you then?" Rey asked honestly not knowing.

Eris turned to her, saw at some point she'd moved just the slightest bit closer; she looked so young, so open and vulnerable. Before she could recognize herself in Rey's face she turned away, pushing memories of a better time far back in her mind so they could wilt. "I won't hurt you, how about that," she said without really answering. She'd worn so many faces she hardly recognized herself anymore, she thought perhaps maybe there was no answer. But she didn't think she'd hurt Rey in the end, not when the kid was doing what she herself would've done.

It made Rey smile, that she'd gotten this immovable stone of a woman to bend just slightly. Maybe then she wasn't so bad. "I still don't trust you."

With a laugh Eris replied; "then you might have a chance."

They didn't speak much after that. Rey could feel that Eris didn't want to talk anymore, and what Rey wanted to ask most was why she'd been shot down. They'd gone on quietly the rest of the evening, Rey had pulled back the tarps so Eris could see the night sky and then she'd sat outside in the sand alone, wishing Eris was better company so she could sit with her.

A few hours later both girls lay quietly in the dark, Eris lying on the cold floor now with a blanket to cover herself, and Rey laid in her hammock with an arm behind her head staring blankly at the darkness above her. "You said you're not with The Order," she said breaking the peace.

"Yeah," Eris said slowly, unsure what she was getting at.

Rey was quiet as she thought of how to best phrase her question, aiming for the least offense because maybe it'd get her an answer. Finally she decided on, "why would the Resistance want you captured?"

Eris shook her head realizing Rey was trying to figure out whether or not she could be trusted. "I follow the money. It just so happens The Order places most of the bounties on rebels."

"So you kill for The Order but you're not with them?" Rey asked not understanding, and not entirely knowing if she wanted to.

"No," Eris answered with an aggrieved sigh. "I find the target, give their location, and get paid."  
Rey sat up and looked to where Eris lay illuminated in the moonlight, her pale hair ironically looking like a halo splayed around her head. "How is that different than you killing them?"

Losing her patience, because this was the second time in the past two days she'd had to answer this particular question – and since the first person she'd explained it to didn't understand she sat up and spun around to face Rey. "You wanna know what you and every rebel fighter's problem is: your need to fit everything into neat little categories of right and wrong. What's 'right,'" she raised her hands and motioned mock quotations, "and 'wrong' are concepts, ideas. So's truth and honor and 'fair.' Ideas," she enunciated the word in the hopes it'd signify its importance, "can be bought, they can be changed, and they can be proven wrong. So can every sentient being in existence. And guess who's run every governing system that's failed before?" she asked rhetorically, hoping Rey was getting it because the person before hadn't – but then again, he'd been a rebel fighter. "There will never be a government that encompasses all. The Resistance wants to rule their way and they'll kill anyone who opposes them. The First Order wants to rule their way so they'll kill anyone who opposes them. Those are your options, kid, choose one. Or choose yourself."

"Like you?" Rey asked staring wide eyed at her. "What about the innocent caught in the middle, the ones The Order kills? The Resistance at least protect the innocent, and you're helping to kill them." She watched as Eris laid back down on her side turned away from her, heard her groan of indignation. "I was right about you," she said thinking she was finally seeing Eris' true face. "I should've let him take you, let him lock you away." She waited for Eris to defend herself, to prove otherwise and that somewhere inside her was a good person. And Rey didn't know why she was so disappointed when Eris said nothing. She fell on her back already planning to take her to the Outpost, see if someone there knew Eris and would know what to do with her because Rey honestly didn't know. And she didn't know even more when Eris did speak, her voice quiet, reluctant, and perhaps a little sad.

"It's been a while since I thought of anyone but myself," she said still lying on her side facing the wall. "Forgive me for not remembering what compassion feels like." She let it hang there knowing there was nothing else to say, she'd already given this girl more of herself than she had anyone else, and for no real reason other than because Rey had asked. She left Rey with too much to contemplate, too many questions. Neither slept that night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will go into the start of the movie and might have Poe actually in it, which I'm hugely excited for. Although, if you pay attention I do reference him in this chapter. Thank you very much for reading, I do hope you enjoy.

Eris woke with a start having not realized she'd fallen asleep, and her body gave a sudden jolt as her mind slammed into consciousness. It took her a moment of staring at the rusty metal above her head to remember where she was, and when she did remember she turned regretfully to the door to see the same sandy planet through the same fraying tarps. She could tell by the shadows the sun cast it was well into the day, she must've fallen asleep right before dawn: and after almost three days without, she'd slept hard.

Rolling onto her back she rubbed the tired from her eyes. And she stilled, a fist curled against her eye, at the sudden realization that her right hand was still laying across her stomach. She was sitting up immediately looking for the chain, raising her other hand to find it wrapped around only one wrist.

With a sigh she fell on her back having let herself hope to be free; hope, such a dangerous thing and no more so than when it fell through. Though after two days she was glad to not have her hands cupped together; she was able to spread out, to stretch, take up more space than she needed just because she could. She laid on her back with her arms held out on opposite sides of her, hearing in the silence that she was once more alone. A soft hum of a speeder, a high pitched whir of a plane, a rogue voice calling out – but these were all at a distance, far away, muffled.

What Eris tried to hear was breathing, the soft sound of someone shifting their weight: any sign to say there was a beating heart somewhere within her vicinity. There wasn't. It left her unhappy with only her thoughts to keep her company; no one would look for her, no one cared to. The only people that knew where she was were the Resistance, and they were likely to wait until she stepped out of line before they tried coming after her again. She was well and truly on her own, something she hadn't minded before but now she was understanding what an old acquaintance once told her – we all need someone. And there Eris was too stubborn to need anyone. And no one was coming for her.

Same as the day before it was hours until Rey returned, portions shoved in her pockets, an extra canteen in hand, and Eris lying with her feet propped on the wall only this time she was tapping a tune. "What'd you find today?" she asked without even opening her eyes. She was so bored and wound she almost felt tired, all she really wanted was to run and pacing the span of her leash just didn't cut it.  
Though she quickly regretted asking as Rey happily spouted off names of things that made up a ship; Eris knew things such as an ion drive or hyperdrive or repulsorlift. But those were all things a ship did, things she used, buttons she knew to push to make it happen – she didn't know what made it work. Rey apparently did and she was thrilled at having found the parts so she could sell them. All Eris understood was electrotelescope, which Rey hadn't quite known when most ships now used a surveyor – but older models, the ones Eris found were easier to steal, had manual scopes.

"We've got enough for four days," Rey told her excitedly as she counted the packs again. Eight total, they could each eat an entire portion a day. It was more than she'd had in a while.

Eris realized this, and she sat quietly stomaching her portion at the sad thought of how happy this had made Rey – something so simple as being able to eat one's fill. And that _we,_ how quickly Rey said it, how easily she'd accepted Eris – as if it wasn't a thought at all for Rey to include her. It struck Eris hard as any physical blow, struck her silent so that Rey continued to babble about the ship she'd found half buried in the sand.

Until Rey had finally quieted and turned to Eris to ask how her day had been, and then it was Rey who fell silent because she knew how Eris' day had been – empty, meaningless. There wasn't much Rey knew about Eris, only what she'd gathered and she gathered that Eris didn't stay in one place for long. She preferred adventure, danger, her every action's reaction to possibly end in death. To be stuck in this one place with nothing at all to do, Rey thought it must've been agony. "What were you doing in the Western Reaches?" she finally asked, starting with something simple, something less accusing she'd be more likely to answer.

Eris dropped the rest of the jiggling mass on the plate and slid it across the floor to where Rey sat, who eagerly finished it for her. "Tracking someone," she answered simply. And it was simple, a name had been given with the last known whereabouts and so started the job. It was a puzzle, and she was to collect the pieces for the person who wanted it solved – less simple was the who.

"For The Order," Rey said not needing to ask.

And because Eris was shameless she gave a short nod. "He lived with a group of," she paused to think of an adequate word to describe the Church of the Force, "heretics. They wanted information I was told only he had."

"What information?" Rey asked without hesitation, by then far too curious about this woman to pay much mind to the details of what she did.

Eris shrugged. "It wasn't important to my finding him," she answered bland and matter of fact. She'd long since given up on the details of what she did, of the deaths she caused by finding people who didn't want to be found; it's how she was still able to live with herself.

Rey didn't understanding how Eris couldn't not want to know why someone was after the man she'd hunted across the galaxy. "But it was why you were finding him," she said wanting herself to know.

But Eris only raised her shoulders offhandedly again. "After a while it all bleeds together: the reason's always the same, no one wants to be found, the money always comes. How they're found," she turned to Rey to see she had snuck closer again, probably didn't realized she'd done it, "that's always new. All the different places they'd been, the people they'd known. You get to really know a person that way, finding different parts of their lives and the stories that live there." She turned back to the door to see the shadows had grown longer, the sand darker. What she didn't say was there were a rare few individuals she'd been paid to hunt down that she'd grown to respect, once heroes of their time – something she found hard to deal with was that not everyone deserved it.

Rey heard the intention behind her silence, could feel the reservation. "What happens when you find them?"

Without pause Eris said, "you're a smart kid, you know what happens."

They were killed. Rey knew that, had known when Eris first said she'd been hunting someone; it wasn't to reunite old friends. Rey also knew that not everyone would want to cross the galaxy to go after a target, like The Order, which meant Eris was the one to do the killing. These were the details Rey had tried to avoid, the part of Eris she'd wanted to keep in the shadows because they were hard to swallow in the light. The first thing Rey thought to ask was why, the next was how could you – she didn't understand how Eris could sit so unfeeling at admitting she was a murderer.  
It took Rey several long quiet minutes before she realized Eris had stopped caring – not that she couldn't, but that she didn't allow herself to. And with that realization came the next, that Eris had become far too good at being alone. So Rey, who wanted so much to not be alone anymore, did what Eris had always done in that she pushed it aside for something easier to handle. "Where'd the pilot come from?"

She thought for sure it'd shut Rey up, turn the kid against her. But she was full of surprises. "I tracked one of Lor San Tekka's old friends to a planet nearby, I'd gotten this planet's name and almost had his location before the pilot showed up." She knew Rey wouldn't understand, would only start them arguing, so she left out the part where she killed the friend to keep the Resistance from finding Lor as well, whom the Resistance were now aware The Order was after.

"The Resistance want him too?" she asked moving past the 'old friend' because she was in fact a smart kid and she could easily guess what Eris had done for the sake of the job; whether or not Rey herself agreed with it she at least understood Eris' practicality. Rey imagined a space where the Resistance took up the right side and the Order took up the left, and Eris existed smack in the middle enjoying too much the game of toeing the line.

Eris nodded as she curled her legs to her chest feeling the temperature drop as the sun fell. "I almost lost him," she said without any anger to his responsibility for her current plight. Instead she almost reverently said in a quiet voice, "he was a damn good pilot." She never even saw his face, a good thing because then she'd hunt him with the intention to kill him for knowing _her_ face – and with skill like that death would just be a waste.

Rey sat back almost amazed at hearing from the soft honesty of that statement that Eris had been impressed by the man who'd shot her down. A man who downed her pod and then took the time to search for her on the chance she might be alive and injured, rather than leave her stranded to die from her wounds. "What'll you do when you leave?" she asked having an idea of what her answer would be.

Only Eris didn't make it easy. She turned to Rey and asked; "that mean you plan on lettin me go?"

Rey rolled her eyes and scooted herself back toward her side of the ship. "Well you are terrible company," she said before she thought about it, before she could think that Eris might not hear the lightness of her tone.

Whether or not Eris knew Rey was only half serious, she laughed. A deep laugh that came from her stomach, something she hadn't done in a long while. "That I am," she agreed still chuckling lightly. Though she quieted shortly and gave her answer: "I'll probably finish the job, collect the money."

"Then what?" Rey asked not understanding why she wanted so much to hear her say she'd come back. It was true Eris wasn't a good companion, she was rude and demanding, threatening; but she had stories, her strange ideals after seeing the galaxy and finding its faults, she was a warm body in an otherwise lawless barren land. And really Rey was just tired of being alone.

All of this Eris had quietly observed over those past few days; Rey had been abandoned here, and she'd spend the rest of her life waiting for a family that wasn't coming back for her. Eris knew what Rey was asking, knew both the burden of being tied to someone and the comfort having someone to come back to. "I haven't decided," was her answer, which wasn't an answer at all. But it was the truth. She turned to Rey only seeing the whites of her eyes in their dark space and said, "thought you didn't like my company."

She stared at where Eris sat more visible in the streaking of the moonlight as it shone through the space between the tarps; her skin pale, her blue eyes nearly glowing, her loose tangled yellow hair shining. Beside the dark blood that still smeared over her forehead and speckled on her chin, Eris looked far more innocent than she deserved. "I don't," Rey told her before climbing in her hammock and turning so her back was toward the other woman.

Following suit Eris laid back on the cool metal floor pulling the blanket around her as she smiled to herself. Whether or not Rey would admit it the two shared many similarities. Granted Rey's moral compass pointed only one way and Eris' was stuck in a magnetic field constantly spinning, but that stubborn refusal to the want of companionship was something Eris knew well.

…

It wasn't the sun that woke her, nor was it simply consciousness. Eris opened her eyes knowing something had drawn her out of sleep without knowing what, and it left her lying on her back straining to listen with the sense of impending looming around her. Her position on the bottom of the ship allowed her to feel even the smallest of tremors in the sand from passing vehicles, and after several silent moments she was sure that's what it'd been. Only now she heard the soft shifting of sand, the gentle rubbing of fabric together, the subtle sound of wind breaking over something else before it broke over the ship.

Every movement was calculated, deliberate. She slowly sat up and began gathering the chain in her hands, allowing herself a gentleness she normally didn't spare in order to remain silent. And when she'd gotten herself to where she could stand, she quietly crept back releasing each chain link individually as she moved closer to where Rey still slept. With it wrapped around only one wrist Eris was able to stand with her right arm extended and her left stretched toward the hammock she could now reach.

Rey woke to a hand covering her mouth and nose, her first conclusion immediately went to Eris smothering her. Before Rey could do more than wrap her hands around Eris' wrist she heard a short quiet 'shh,' and she allowed herself to still, to let herself trust this ambiguous untrustable woman.

Feeling the strain in Rey's muscles relax Eris removed her hand from the girl's mouth and bent as low to Rey's ear as her fully stretched leash allowed. "Someone's outside," she whispered on a breath so soft Rey thought she'd imagined the sound.

Rey herself strained to hear what Eris clearly heard as she turned her head sharply to see outside. Rey heard nothing, just the normal sound of the wind brushing against the top most layer of the sand. So she tried harder, because Eris had begun gathering the links again only this time she was headed for the door. There wasn't a sound, not that Rey's ears were trained to notice, but there was a feeling – it was strange, Rey could feel that there was a fluttering heart moving around the right side of the ship.

Eris was hearing what Rey felt, and over that she heard Rey climb out of the hammock and move behind her for the staff she kept propped against the inside of the door. There was nothing for Eris to do as Rey slipped outside, and at the sound of Rey's loud 'hey' Eris gave up masking the sound of the metal links and let them drop from her hand as she looked for anything to free herself. She resumed her useless assault as she grabbed the chain and began pulling, holding her feet firm as she gave sharp violent jerks. There were two of them – Rey was struggling against the first who was far larger and a better fighter. The second Eris heard step onto the ship, his large heavy feet causing the whole thing to tremble, and she froze in place turning to the door seeing a broad massive shadow. In an effort to go unnoticed she pulled the chain taut to silence it as she moved on light feet further back in the ship.

She had just reached the wall she was bound to when he threw aside the tarp to look inside and she caught enough of a look at him to see the claws and fangs, the protruding ridges the circled their head like a crown – Noghri, she cursed their bad luck. On a good day she could fight one and still be able to walk away, though bleeding and bruised and not so much walking as limping. But two, with no weapons. She slipped behind the wall just as he turned her way and she heard the scrape of a knife being pulled from its sheath as he caught sight of the chain now knowing there was someone inside.

These bounty hunters had come for her. She hadn't made contact with her proprietor, he assumed she was either dead or a turncoat. So her name had been given, Jakku was her last known location; she was the target, the price was over her head. It didn't matter who sent them - she'd taken enough jobs from The Order that the Resistance wanted her dead, and The Order now saw her as a loose end who knew too much. This wasn't a reconnaissance mission, the two assassins weren't interested in why she'd disappeared - they'd been ordered to kill her.


	5. Chapter 5

As he crept closer to the back wall Eris steadied her breathing, calmed her nerves. Instinct said to come from behind the wall fighting, to knock him back to gain distance from him and that crude dagger. Though not often, instinct was wrong. He'd fall back knowing not only that this was his target but that she was chained, it'd give him time to consider options because he could move freely, and more importantly it would leave her stuck in front of him with nowhere to go.

She needed to get behind him, that was the only option she had to take him out. There were a few tactics to consider: climbing the wall so when he came round she could jump on his back however she couldn't do that now without him seeing the chain moving up the wall and then he'd guess her plan and thwart it, she had the dark on her side so when he came round the wall she could quickly run around him wrapping him in the chain but that depended on him coming to her and from the straight path he made toward the wall she knew rather than moving around it he planned to grab the chain and pull her to him eliminating any chance she had of taking him by surprise. It left her with only one choice, and in the span of time it took for him to move three steps forward she'd come to her decision and steeled herself to fight.

With light feet she stepped closer to the edge of the wall so that her shoulder was level with its edge, listening to his heavy footsteps getting closer and knowing his eyes were trained on the corner anticipating a flash of movement. Neither were stupid, both were savagely reckless. When he was a breath away from grabbing the chain she charged, he followed instinct and forsook her leash in favor of turning with his knife raised. She grabbed his arm and using her momentum swung her body around him and planted her feet firmly between his shoulder blades. Using the chain wrapped around her wrist she pulled it tight across his thick neck, and tighter still as she dug her feet into his back. If she'd been a Barabel she might've been able to take his head clean off, but being a human she could only hope to take his breath.

In a desperate attempt to save himself he reached back aiming to stab her and was rewarded with the sound of her choked pain as she cried out, his blade clattering on the floor. With his knife out of reach he threw his back to the wall clawing at his belt, she grunted at the sudden pressure against her stomach as his shoulders pinned her to the wall. She pulled the chain tighter feeling his bobbing throat shifting beneath it as he tried to breathe, and went about working her leg out from behind him. He felt her struggles and knew she'd caught sight of his blaster and planned to kick it out of his hand as soon as he raised it. With his heart beating furiously in his ears, his head warming to an unbearable degree as he continued on without air, he held the blaster in hand and slammed his elbow into her calf holding it firmly against the wall. It left her without option, she was immobilized by his thick body, her muscle bent painfully beneath his jagged elbow to the point she honestly thought he'd stabbed her again, watching as he then aimed the blaster to shoot her from behind.

And then his grip loosened, his arms slowly drooped back to his sides, his coiled body began to unwind as he wilted. She slid against the wall as he crumbled, her legs spreading around his broad shoulders until they came to sit together and a rush of air left her with a harsh whoosh. From afar it might've been mistaken for a tender moment between two lovers; his back to her chest, her legs bent around him, his head on her shoulder, her cheek against his still warm temple. If not of course for her deep panting being the only breathing between them.

When she was sure he was good and dead she unwound the chain from around his neck, feeling it unstick from his gray flesh, and she shoved him off her. She allowed herself a moment to breathe having honestly thought she'd at least have broken something, because there'd been no doubt in her mind it would be her to walk away. It wasn't until beneath her hammering heart she heard the sound of young Rey crying out that she finally moved, tearing the blaster out of his stiff hand and lining the barrel with the link fastening the chain to her wrist.

Wasting no time to enjoy her freedom she climbed to her feet and moved to the door, hearing every so often beneath the Noghri's growls a softer grunt. Pulling back the tarp Eris expected to find Rey – a far less skilled fighter - bruised, bleeding, wincing in pain, and quite possibly with one of the other Noghri's wrapped around her thin arm holding her in place. But what she saw was Rey staring down the assassin with her teeth bared holding her staff like a spear as she quickly spun to evade the onslaught of his knife, his blaster having already been knocked from his hand and now lost in the sand. Eris allowed herself to observe, weapon held at her side, watching Rey's unrefined manner of combat.  
She'd lunge forward swinging her staff with considerable strength striking the Noghri before jumping back out of his way, and he might've been a head shorter but was at least twice her width and moved swiftly as he drove that dagger after her. Their dance continued many moments more, sweat beading on Rey's brow her breaths deepening until she panted, but she stood strong. Until the Noghri grew tired of catching nothing more than the fabric of her tunic as she spun out of reach, and the next time she struck he grabbed her staff instead and landed a heavy kick to her middle throwing her back.

Holding her side Rey pulled herself on the ground as the Noghri returned the knife to his belt and weighed the metal staff in his hands judging how best to go about using against her. She cried out as the end of it was jammed into her leg as she tried to crawl away, and then again as it was thrust into her middle. With it held at the middle of her back she was pinned belly first to the ground with her own weapon and she clawed at the sand uselessly still trying to get away.

A high pitched echoing whine sounded and Rey suddenly found herself free. She was quick to throw herself to the left and roll onto her back so that she could get to her feet, prepared to keep running should that beast still make to attack. Only what she saw when she finally stood on shaking legs was him lying facedown in the sand and her staff fallen from his hand. Eris, Rey had nearly forgotten the other woman in her blind panic to survive. Turning to the ship she raggedly said, "took you long enough."

Eris lowered the blaster and tilted her head to the side as she appraised Rey's state, shaken and hurt but otherwise alright. "Next time don't let him get the upper hand," she stated blandly before turning and retreating through the door.

Rey stared after her appalled at her admittance that she'd stood there watching as he hurt her, and she could do little more than scoff because was there really any reason to think Eris would've cared. And then it hit her – Eris wasn't chained anymore, she was free to retaliate in any way she saw fit. The sound of something heavy shifting on the metal floor had Rey waiting ready to dive for where the other blaster lay half buried in the sand; her eyes widened as Eris' backside slowly emerged through the tarps and with it the large mass she was dragging.

Eris put him beside the other Noghri wondering if she'd known these two – she'd known a few, enough she respected their extreme skill. "What d'you think?" she asked turning to look at Rey over her shoulder, a tired smirk curling one half of her mouth, "should we set 'em up, make 'em our guards." She watched Rey's mouth fall open at that horrid thought and chuckled as she brushed her messy hair back. "Joking," she said raising her hands as a show of innocence, "I promise. We can bury them later." She turned and made for the ship again, though before she disappeared behind the tarps she pointed to the Noghri she'd been fighting and said, "get your stick."

"It's a staff," Rey correctly quietly not trusting her intentions. But she did comply, wanting some form of weapon, and she was quick to move back to where the blaster sat in case it was needed. She waited for Eris to return and watched her drop the gun she'd confiscated in favor of the short metal retractable staff Rey had taken when she first found her.

Eris sharply flicked her wrist extending the blunt end and motioned for Rey to raise her own staff. "The best way to lose a fight is to fight reckless," she said getting into position, her dominant side's foot steady in front of her ready to move. "Second's to fight predictably. And kid you're as predictable as they come."

Rey held her staff unsure what was happening, having thought Eris planned to kill her and was showing respect out of giving her a fair chance – now Rey wondered if Eris wasn't planning to hurt her at all. But then Eris moved, a quick charge with a calculated swipe with the end of her rod cuffing Rey's ankle. "Ow," Rey said more out of habit, though it did sting, and stepped back.

Eris stepped with her not letting her gain distance, wanting to force Rey to fight close. "You're alone, that makes you weaker. It's not about winning for you, it's about getting away," she said taking another jab at her but this time Rey brought her staff down to block it. "Get 'em off their feet," she said swinging the bar to other side of Rey.

And Rey, having expected Eris to try hitting her on the same side, wasn't able to stop the blow from landing and she felt the same biting of the metal as before. This time it was Rey who attacked, bringing her rod up to take a jab at Eris' stomach hoping to at least push her back.

Only Eris knew how to watch her opponent's body, knew how to use her peripheral to never have to take her eyes off Rey's face and still manage to block her strike. This time Eris aimed the end of her staff at Rey's left leg, the one across from her, and as Rey focused on stopping the hit from landing Eris swiped a foot around Rey's ankle throwing her off balance.  
Eris knelt beside where Rey fell and looked at the kid's surprised face; she looked so sweet, big brown eyes, so young. "You get 'em off their feet they can't duck when you knock 'em out," she said giving Rey the best piece of advice she had to offer.

Rey stared up at where Eris hovered over her now understanding what she was doing – she was gonna leave, and she wanted Rey to at least know how to properly handle herself. "What happens if I can't get them off their feet?" she asked taking the hand Eris offered and climbed to her feet.

With a sigh Eris turned to the horizon to see the first warm colors of the sun beginning to peak, already the sky had lightened. "Guess I'll teach you that next time."

"Next time?" Rey asked hopefully.

Without answer Eris turned to the ship, which now that she was outside of it she saw was actually an AT-AT, grabbed both fallen blasters and stepped back inside. Raising her staff level with the wall she pushed the end of it back inside the handle so that it was no longer than her forearm.

Rey quietly followed her and sat on her hammock watching as Eris then paced the floor. Her arms were crossed, her surprisingly dark brows drawn together, her full mouth pursed in deep thought. "They came for you," Rey said after a while, realizing that's what was troubling her. She was trying to figure out her next step.

"Yeah," Eris answered, her feet never faltering. She was considering her options now that The Order had called a hit on her. If those two hunters didn't give a report more would be sent in their place: Eris prided herself on her fighting often to the point of taking on more than she could handle, but even she knew she couldn't fight forever. Which left contacting General Hux who'd given her the job in the first place, and he'd either see the benefit of her living and continuing the search for Lor San Tekka or he'd send more assassins and she was back at the first option. Briefly she considered the Resistance, who were more likely to imprison her out of 'good will' but if the past three days were anything to go by then Eris simply wasn't able to withstand imprisonment. She'd rather die, at least then she wouldn't waste away. She turned to Rey suddenly. "You mentioned the Niima Outpost and Unkar Plutt," she said surprising Rey with her having remembered. "He's a tradesmen, he'll have to have communications of sorts." She grabbed the weapons and turned to the door.

Rey climbed out of her hammock and followed Eris outside to find her already beside the dead Noghri taking their knives. "You can't go back to The Order, they want you dead," she said thinking it was mad.

Eris scoured the barren land in front of her looking for the speeders the two had driven. "There's a one in three chance they won't kill me," she said pragmatic and unemotional as always.

Rey quickened her pace to keep up with Eris' purposeful strides. "And you're basing your life on that?" Her attention was momentarily stolen when she saw the two landspeeders parked down a small embankment, considering she already had one she could sell the other. But then she was turning back to Eris prepared to refuse on the grounds that it was completely stupid.

But Eris had already climbed atop one and was revving it to see that it'd work. "Stay here. If Plutt sees you with me he might let slip we're acquaintances and then they'll be after you."

"Why do you care?" Rey finally yelled. "You've spent your whole life pretending your above it all, why do you care what happens to me?"

Hurt was evident in Rey's strained voice and it had Eris sighing as she brushed her hair behind her ear. Eris was many things, honest wasn't one of them; but she was honest then. "Because you're who I wish I could've been had I been stronger." She looked down at herself making sure everything was secure. "If I come back," she said turning to Rey's openly unhappy face and shrugged, "then I'm not dead." And with that she sped away, leaving Rey alone to watch her until she disappeared, and even then Rey kept her place wishing harder than she ever had for anything that Eris would turn around and come back.

…

A few days later Rey was startled awake by a loud whirring coming over the embankment her home was at the bottom of. Grabbing her staff she quickly ran outside prepared for whichever scavenger planned to steal from her. At the sight of pale yellow hair Rey slung her staff over her shoulder and ran to meet Eris where she'd parked. "You're not dead then," she said by way of greeting.

Eris smirked as she climbed out of the speeder. "Not yet, kid." She grabbed her satchel and followed her into the Walker.

"So tell me what happened," Rey said excitedly as she handed Eris a canteen.

Taking several large gulps of the dirty water Eris wiped her mouth and joined Rey on the hammock and the two women sat cross-legged across from each other. "After some convincing Plutt made a call to," she waved an unconcerned hand in the air, "whoever he trades with for the food portions. Only to for him to be a lily-livered cud and said the only way I was gettin a message to The Order was if I came to him myself, which of course meant I had to leave the damn planet." She rolled her eyes sitting back cursing them all for the trouble she'd had to go to.

Rey could only smile remembering how furious Unkar Plutt had been after a 'madwoman' had knocked out all his men and threatened him - she'd missed Eris and her rude ways. "Is everything alright then?" she asked knowing Eris wouldn't have come back if it weren't in order to keep Rey out of it.

"Not likely," Eris said quietly. "I told them I'd been indisposed by a rebel fighter but that I'd killed him and I didn't appreciate how quickly they'd given up on me and sent assassins for my head. And that I expected monetary compensation for the trouble to go along with what they'd pay for finding Lor San Tekka." She looked at the ceiling knowing it wouldn't be that easy, she'd already proven to Hux she was squirrelly and they'd never been fully convinced of her loyalty. "But I don't think I'm collecting the money this time."

Rey was quiet as she watched Eris, could see past her smooth face to see the trouble darkening her eyes. They still planned to kill her, only they'd let her finish the job first. "What'll you do then?" she asked not having any ideas.

Eris though had figured if they didn't kill her immediately then they'd do it when she came to collect after she finished the job. "Find my target, and when they come for him I'll let them see me flyin off thinking I'm running. And when I'm out of sight I'll double back and come here." She looked at Rey. "Long as my company's not too terrible for you."

With a roll of her eyes Rey smiled. "I'll be makin you pull your weight," she told Eris watching her brows raise in amusement. Rey settled quickly though, knowing Eris' plan counted on her not being followed or shot down both of which were more likely than her making an easy escape. "When are you leaving?"

Her brow smoothed into a look of seriousness as she swung her legs off the hammock and stood. "Momentarily," she answered grabbing her bag. "I figured since you don't remember anything but desert."

Rey watched Eris pull something out of the sack and gasped. It was a plant, it's stem long and wooden like a small thin tree, its canopy thick and bright red. It was more color than she'd seen in years. "It's beautiful," she breathed taking the pot from her and setting it close enough to the door it'd still get light.

Eris looked at it wondering what it was Rey saw, because what Eris saw was a sad insignificant plant she'd more likely step on than ever notice. And the only reason she'd brought it was because Rey lived in a desert, anything that had color was magic; and Eris found herself wanting that, to see out of Rey's eyes especially to see what Rey saw in her. Eris wondered when her sense of mysticism had left her, if she'd ever had it; nothing seemed to catch her eye anymore. It was no wonder she was so unhappy.

Rey gently touched the little leaves finding them soft and fuzzy. She couldn't stop smiling, it was the most beautiful she thought she'd ever seen. "Thank y-" her voice drowned out when she turned to see she was alone. She rushed outside to see Eris walking quickly to her speeder.

"I should only be a few days," Eris said hearing the sound of Rey's footsteps in the sand as she followed her.

Rey stopped and watched Eris fix her satchel around her. "I'll be here," she said in reply, her tone short and uninviting. It shouldn't have surprised her that Eris would leave without saying goodbye, to do so would mean that Eris would have to admit she actually liked her.

Something Eris wouldn't do. "You could come with me."

"To hunt an innocent man?" Rey demanded. But in truth it wasn't the largest part of the reason she'd say no, and Eris knew too, she still clung to the blind hope that if she just waited long enough her family would come back.

Eris shook her head smiling as she climbed onto the speeder. "Define innocence, kid." With the vehicle started she turned to Rey, staring at her kind yet hardening face. "If you aren't here," she said waiting for Rey's eyes to lock onto her own, "I will look for you." She watched Rey's eyes soften as a trembling smile formed on her mouth, and before Eris' own steel could begin to dissolve she drove off leaving Rey once more to watch her disappear.

…

Eris had a plan. She was capable of flying by the seat of her pants but by no means did she prefer it, there were too many opportunities for mistakes, too many chances for better alternatives to be overlooked. She had a plan. She'd find Lor San Tekka, and after a day of driving to known inhabited settlements she finally found the Church of the Force, she'd call it in, which she did, and then wait for The Order to arrive.

Because Jakku was such an isolated place Eris had to backtrack to an Outpost to simply get a line out. No more than an hour was she gone, but it was enough time for her entire plan to be flipped on its head. As she was driving back to await The Order she noticed a ship flying in the same direction as her a little ahead of her, a fortunate position because it didn't see her. But she saw it, the starfighter, the symbol painted on the side. It was no more than a thought to who it might be as she sped along behind it, too far to see the droid traveling with it.

She stopped quite a distance back after it'd landed, wanting to remain unnoticed. But she was close enough to observe; his hair was dark, he didn't look very tall, and rather than an orange jumpsuit he wore casual clothing. Unable to make out his face she wasn't paying him that much attention, she was waiting for him to unhook the droid – the droid's the one that had alerted the pilot to her presence in the first place. It was the only ID she had to go on: BB unit, white and orange.

A bitter smile curled on her mouth though it quickly fell into a straight line as no part of this was amusing. The Order was on their way, everyone here would die. And she watched a small round white and orange droid roll behind its master as he greeted Lor San Tekka. She'd found her pilot.


	6. Chapter 6

Eris knelt low to the sand watching from a measured distance as The Order arrived blasters at the ready, and they easily overtook the small settlement and its miniscule army.

The presence of the Resistance pilot had left her formulating a new plan: this was her target, the location she'd given The Order, yet the Resistance made it there first. There was nothing left for Eris, she was officially a marked woman and both sides of the war wanted her head. It left her giving a short sneering chuckle at the irony of it all, and that at the root of what went wrong was every decision she'd ever made.

She watched the establishment burn as the stormtroopers set it all ablaze, heard distant cries, grit her teeth at seeing her landspeeder get hit with a wall of fire. At least one thing had gone her way, the stormtrooper had paused at it and seen a bag she was known to carry, and knew she'd been there – after they found the pilot they'd assume she was with the Resistance, they wouldn't waste time looking for her in Jakku.

An unseen observer at the ruin she'd caused, she looked on quietly as the dark haired pilot ran from a tent and stopped short at seeing his ship destroyed; he was as stranded as she was. And then he turned to his droid, knelt low beside it like an old friend, and encouraged it to run. She let her gaze following the BB unit pondering the pilot's decision to stay behind rather than go with it; Lor San Tekka had information The Order wanted, Eris presumed regarding the Resistance in some way, the Resistance had come all this way for Tekka which meant they wanted something from him as well, and now with no way off the planet facing an enemy that far outnumbered his single blaster the pilot had chosen to fight. The droid had the information.

Had The Order not made it clear they wanted the elusive hunter dead she might've had it in mind to retrieve the fleeing droid for them. Instead she simply turned her head as it came to a stop beside her; it rolled back to look up at her familiar face, her pale skin and yellow hair cast in the orange glow of the flames making her appear softer, but she looked back to the settlement to monitor how far the stormtroopers were searching and if they were coming closer. "Get lost," she told it firm and unkind.

BB-8 gave a surprised hum as it inched closer to her. But at a harsh swipe of her foot that clanged against its side making its whole body shake, it scooted back lowering its head submissively.

She knelt beside it putting her face near its sensor so it'd see her hard expression. "Last time I helped you you turned me in," she jerked her head in the direction of where its master still knelt hidden as he watched Kylo Ren. "Stick around and I might decide to return the favor. How much d'you think I'd get for you, considering you have the information The Order wants?"

At her bared teeth and flashing eyes BB-8 gave a small shriek of fright and scurried away, rolling as fast as its body would allow. Not daring to look back in case the woman was watching, or running after to catch up.

She did neither, instead as the droid began running again she turned back to the pilot curious of what he'd do. Because really his actions would dictate what happened next and how far away that droid needed to get. If he stayed put until The Order left – and with the death of Lor San Tekka, and his information, they were in fact leaving – then he and his droid could peacefully resume whatever they were doing with whatever information and The Order would be none the wiser. Which also meant The Order would never have suspected she worked with the Resistance, leaving a chance for her to repair their fragile relationship so she wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life on the run. However, should he stupidly try to fight they'd take him and force him to reveal the information was currently rolling along the sand still on Jakku causing The Order to return and scour the entire planet; neither droid nor Eris would escape. So she waited, kneeling beside a mound of sand not big enough to hide her, because the pilot's actions would tell her her next move.

Part of her wanted him dead to get rid of him and if it saved her the trouble of getting her hands dirty all the better, another part wanted to question him on whether the Resistance now knew her identity so she'd know just how careful she needed to be, but there was a small timid part of her closest to Rey that wished he'd just run.

Only as Kylo Ren's back was to them as he returned to his ship, the pilot in a recklessly brave rush took a shot at Ren. And Kylo Ren with no more effort than if he'd been batting an irritating bug out of his face turned and stopped the blast midair, catching the pilot as well.

Dead. She wanted the pilot dead. Rolling her eyes so hard they might've stuck she muttered, "idiot," and turned away. There was nothing left now, he'd just single-handedly ruined any chance the three had. Four of them, counting Rey – and with The Order on its way Eris wouldn't leave her behind whether or not she had to drag the kid kicking and screaming. Before the sun set the next day, Eris knew they'd come by then if they hadn't come already; a shame her speeder had been shot up, on foot it'd take til morning to even reach the next settlement with no guarantee they had any means of travel.

Needless to say her mood was dark as she hiked the rest of the night. Had anyone had the unfortunance of coming across her that evening she wouldn't have hesitated in exacting her irritations on them, leaving them dead and her in a slightly better mood. And with any luck it'd be someone with a vehicle; only luck was no friend to her that evening, not even the closest settlement had a vehicle she could use. She needed Rey, clever resourceful Rey who'd spent enough years taking things apart she knew how to put them together – Eris had no use for broken things, as quickly as they stopped working she found something new. She was no good at repair, or else her heart might not have been so hard. As it were she refilled her canteen, looked to the horizon to see the first ray of sunlight lighting the sky, and continued forward.

As the sun rose higher Eris' pace slowed, her skin grew hot, her breathing grew deeper, no shade was found or rest to be had. She pulled a scarf around her nose and mouth and wound the rest of it over her head; it did nothing to cool her, quite the opposite, but it at least kept her skin from burning. Of the three days Eris had spent chained to Rey's AT-AT she'd heard numerous vehicles or felt the tremors they'd sent through the sand – and yet when timeliness was crucial not a single living thing was seen. At this rate Eris knew she wouldn't make it to the Niima Outpost before she ran out of water let alone get to Rey before The Order arrived; no matter how good a pilot he was it meant nothing to his will, Kylo Ren would break him sooner rather than later and they'd send an army after the droid. It was a hopeless effort, one she should've spent trying to find a way off the planet.

Her steps didn't falter, she carried on after Rey with the plan of getting them the hell outta there.

…

The sun beat directly over her. With her mouth dry and her tongue withered she allowed herself a sparse drink of water, feeling from the sloshing in the tin that it was a little under half empty. With her mouth wrapped fully around the lip of the canteen the water gave a soft high pitched whine as she slowly sucked in increments, trying to not to swallow it all in one gulp as her cracking throat so craved. But she forced herself to stop, to reserve, and she tightened the lid on it once more.

But sound continued. It was quiet, far away, and so very familiar. She stopped and searched the area around her thinking perhaps it was a vehicle coming up on her, seeing nothing she turned to look at the vast land behind her and again saw nothing. And then she looked up, it was the sound of a ship – crashing, to be precise. Watching it fall closer she wondered what a TIE fighter was doing around Jakku in such a state, craning her neck her head turned as she followed its descent. As it flew overhead blowing the scarf from her head she turned back the way she'd been going and watched it crash almost smack in the middle of her and the Niima Outpost.

With little else to do she fixed her scarf and hiked after it. If nothing she could at least sort through the wreckage, maybe find more weapons, water, clothes, parts to be sold for food – maybe a somewhat salvageable ship she and Rey might utilize to leave. She didn't hold out much hope for the last one, she didn't often expose herself to hope because nothing seemed to hurt more than when it was lost.

Walking in the direction of the sun the air hung still and dry around her, her mouth once more became parched starved for water she didn't have to spare. The muscles in her legs were all around refusing each step, too hot, too tired, to thirsty and hungry to want to keep moving. It took almost as much energy to remember why she needed to keep up her pace as it did to actually keep her pace. And then she realized what she perceived as sand through the hazy almost swirling air was actually a mound, a rather large mound, and she stopped at the bottom of it craning her neck to see the top – if anything, she'd found some shade.

Heaving a long drawn out groan she began her steep climb wondering if the kid was even worth the effort. Already Eris was questioning herself, her actions, things she used to do with no remorse because she favored pragmatism over emotion. But several days ago she'd been questioning an ally of Lor San Tekka's, or rather she asked questions and a Barabel she occasionally knew forced the answers out of him, when she'd heard a solid loud thunk on the wooden stairs in the hall. A few seconds later she heard it again, and then again, and as it got closer to the bottom step she heard a heavy body rolling on the step before it fell over the short edge to land on the floor. She'd stood in the doorway silently watching the orange and white droid as it moved forward and then stopped seeing a mark on the wall. It lowered its head, raised it, tilted it at an angle, forming an idea of what'd happened with that particular cut on the wall in its funny little metal head. A curious droid, who'd heard of such a thing.  
She'd had the chance to blast that little droid twice now, and still she didn't. She hadn't seen the point, nor had she the mind to. And even then she blamed that on Rey, even though her having spared the droid was what led her to Rey in the first place.

With a great huff and deep puff she pulled herself over the top of the hill, rewarding herself for the effort by letting her shaky legs give out and fall to her knees to catch her breath. She was at the sinking sands, the TIE fighter had been sucked under she could see the ripples in the deceptive layer of sand from where it'd gone down. It didn't matter who'd been flying it or what she could've found, it was gone now.

Her shoulders slumped with her sigh, the sun now shining fully on her once more. She took another measured sip, really she only wet her lips and licked it up with her dry swollen tongue. Her consolation was that she wasn't far from the outpost, granted it'd be an hour or more of walking – but so far there'd yet to be any more First Order ships, she had that going for her.

Climbing to unsteady feet she charted her path around the sinking sands, catching sight of a smudge set against nothing but orange moving toward the outpost she could just barely make out. Pulling a small scope from her pants she raised it to an eye and saw the back of a person climbing a smaller hill. He had a dark head, she assumed dark skin as well, black pants, and a brown jacket – he was going the same direction she was only he had a greater head start and would reach the outpost in a matter of minutes. She envied him that, though she wondered how he'd gotten his hands on the TIE fighter and if he'd been alone.

Returning the scope to her pocket she began her descent. It wasn't long before she felt a tremor in the sand, she immediately dropped to her knees and bent forward so that her cheek rested on the ground; they were coming from the west, probably scavengers having seen the crash.

She smiled. Finally luck was on her side, she'd kill anyone for a vehicle. Keeping her body low to the ground she waited for them to come up over the ridge, waited for them to stop. With her yellow hair, pale skin, and white suit she was easily looked over as she laid on the sand, mistaken for a rock.

There were two of them, with masks over their faces she didn't know what they were, but while they might've been shorter than her they were wide and they looked strong. They stopped a short distance away, their backs to her, she watched them both pull a gun from their belts. She stilled at that and waited, listening; they hadn't spotted her but they'd spotted someone.

"Hey," a male's voice cracked, regaining consciousness enough to see danger but not really understanding it. He watched the figure on the right jolt as it gave a small grunt, the one on the left turned confused; as the first one fell both man and scavenger saw the knife stuck in its back.

The living scavenger turned raising his blaster but was knocked back by a shoulder slamming into his abdomen. Eris planted a foot on the dead man's back and pulled the knife from his flesh, still moving with the force it'd taken she turned swinging catching the other in the chest stopping him cold. She stumbled slightly as her body continued moving on her built up momentum but she steadied herself and turned to look at the dazed man still lying on his back.

He was about her age if not a little older, tanned skin dark hair, blood dried on one side of his head a bruise on his cheek, a busted lip. He was a mess, but he had kind eyes and he gave a small wincing smile as he said a quiet, "thanks."

"Can you fly?" she asked abruptly offering no amount friendliness.

Her stony voice had him blinking around his hazy vision trying to see her better, catching the glint of the sun on her messy pale hair. "Yeah," he answered watching her turn and kneel beside the body of the men she'd just killed. He glanced down the back of her, the first real look he'd gotten of her – the grey-white suit, the unkempt hair. Poe didn't know if he was lucky or unfortunate.

* * *

 

_Poe turned with the light in hand looking for her body – her, he'd assumed from the amount of cruelty and brute following the reputation it'd be a man. He knew she was wounded, if not dead, he couldn't bring himself to leave her there to die. Not in pain, not alone. "Don't go far," he called to BB-8 not wanting to lose him._

_BB-8 gave a various array of beeps and whirs and Poe turned shining the light in the droid's direction running to his side. "What'd you find, buddy?" he asked observing the sand by his feet. There were two sets of deep prints, he at first thought they might've been from a vehicle, but as he followed them he by chance found a shoeprint from a foot that'd stepped too far to the left and wasn't erased by the body they'd been dragging._

_Picking up his pace Poe ran following the prints, shining the light further ahead of him so he'd catch sight of them before he came up on them; whether or not he had compassion to spare her he wouldn't give her a chance to strike him first. Only what he found at the end wasn't her body or an ally, he found absolutely nothing. He raised the light around him only briefly already know whoever had helped Renegade-1, an apt name for this elusive woman – was long gone._

_BB-8 rolled to a stop behind Poe watching him kick the sand in frustration at her having escaped yet again. And the droid couldn't help but voice its opinion on the matter._

_Poe turned with furrowed brows not understanding BB-8's sudden defense of the woman. "What do you mean you don't think she's that bad? Did you not see the two guys she killed?"_

_BB-8 rolled back raising its head to see Poe's unhappy face better, and explained in high pitched whistles._

_Poe couldn't help the short breathy laugh that escaped him in disbelief. "It doesn't matter that she didn't kill me," he was interrupted as BB-8 beeped at him again. "If she could've killed us then why didn't she?"_

_The droid was quiet for a few moments sifting through its files, once it found the one it wanted it rolled to Poe's side and let it play._

_At the sight of the pale hologram Poe dropped to his knees beside BB-8. "When did you record this?" he asked quietly watching what looked like a Barabel with its scaly skin and fangs. He heard the recorded sound of BB-8's fear as the Barabel came closer, realizing BB-8 had recorded this to give him at least some idea of what'd happened. It saddened Poe to think his droid had thought it'd die, that it'd ever have to fear that, and he placed a hand on its side glad it was still with him. BB-8 beeped at him. "I am watching," Poe said in response._

_A short heavy whine sounded on the recording and Poe watched the holographic Barabel, though smaller than actual size it was no less menacing, fall face first to the floor. Poe leaned forward as a very small figure began appearing as it stepped closer, and as her pale deadly face began to take on features he sat back not liking what came next. She stopped at a distance, and from the way the recording got larger he knew BB-8 had been the one to move forward – and as Poe had known she raised the blaster in her hand aiming it at the innocent droid._

" _BB-8?" he recognized his own voice, seeing her look toward the staircase before she turned and ran for the room she'd once been in._

_Poe shook his head and said, "see, she was gonna kill you."_

_Though metallic, the sound that came from the droid was no less of a sigh. BB-8 rewound the recording to where she first started to become clear and they watched her stop and wait and then as she aimed her gun at him. Again Poe's voice sounded calling for his droid, and again she turned to the stairs and then ran._

_Though this time Poe heard another blast, one he knew killed Lor San Tekka's ally. "What am I missing?" he asked not seeing anything different._

_BB-8 gave several beeps, quite a few were harsh with attitude, and once more the recording was rewound. BB-8 gave a short whistle._

" _I am paying attention," Poe said looking once more at the hologram. It was the first time he'd gotten a good look at her, that the Resistance had any evidence to her appearance – they'd been chasing a ghost until now. She had dark brows, contrasting against her pale hair, a strong jaw, a frowning mouth. As she stopped away from the droid Poe saw her head tilt slightly to the side, as though she were wondering about it – contemplating what to do next. It was obvious what she decided, her arm raised and the blaster was aimed directly at BB-8._

_Only BB-8 then stopped the recording and swiveled its head toward its master and beeped again._

_At its order to watch closely Poe could only sigh, "okay." He turned to the hologram and stared hard at the woman with her unfriendly face and the clear intent to kill evident by the weapon in hand. And then he saw it, her aim shifted, her arm just barely – imperceptivity – lowered by a fraction.  
"BB-8?" And then she looked to the stairs, and at the sound of a person at the top step she turned and ran. _

_Poe sat back quietly as BB-8 then sped through the rest, and he continued watching. Only this time he stared at his own back as BB-8 had followed him into the room to find the man dead; and then the camera had swiveled as BB-8 turned to look at her, at where she stood against the wall with the blaster held at her side creeping silently along the wall._

_And then the recording disappeared completely as BB-8 shut it off. Poe was left staring at where the image had once been still unable to believe it. "She didn't even try to kill me," he said finding no reason why she hadn't other than her not being the evil she'd been made out to be._

* * *

 

Eris knelt beside one of the bodies looking for anything they had on them, hoping for more water. She found tools more in line with what Rey did, what Rey would know how to use, and shoved what she could in a bag knowing they'd at least make her happy. And then her hands paused, hearing the sound of skin unsticking around a solid object. It' was more of a feeling, an awareness to a thought she'd been thinking – this was the pilot, and he still wanted her dead – she knew he was holding a gun to the back of her head though she could feel nothing but his presence behind her.

"Can you fly, d'you hit your head?" she asked not giving herself away.

Poe opened his mouth to tell her no but she caught him off guard as she suddenly swung her leg back knocking the gun from his hand. She charged at him throwing him off his feet, as he landed on his back he felt her settle on his chest with her legs on either side of him. It'd happened so fast, she moved so effective and measured, he didn't quite know what happened to end with her on top of him. All he realized was he was unarmed and she was bent over him pinning him to the ground.

She stared down at his surprised face and reached a hand around her back for a knife she kept sheathed in her belt, planning to imbed it in his skull. And then suddenly a loud harsh sound surrounded them so fully the air seemed to vibrate with it. Eris turned to where the Outpost was located seeing several First Order ships firing at it, none of which were the source of that distinct noise. No, that was a ship, a large ship – one that had Eris rising to her feet at the sight of.

She stepped over the man and followed it slowly as it flew past, digging her heels in the sand to keep from falling over. "Oh kid don't be on there," she said to herself as it flew off, two smaller ships close behind it firing. At the sound of shifting sand she turned back to the dark haired man ready to knock him back again if he tried to grab the blaster. And then it hit her, "your droid," she growled realizing of course the BB unit had found Rey, the only person on the whole damn planet who'd help it. "Dammit." She grabbed the blaster out of the sand, too distracted to notice him tense, and knelt beside him. "Tell you what," she said now not knowing his value and therefore less willing to write him off as unneeded, "you give me what I want I'll go quietly."

He wasn't prepared for her gentle offering. He'd expected the gun to be on him, those blazing eyes to be as cold as they'd been before the ship flew past; her reputation was that of a First Order hired mercenary. But a desperate woman with the bluest eyes wasn't what he expected. "It's a deal," he told her. She surprised him again with the extension of her hand, and a half unguarded smirk curled on his mouth as he took her offer and righted himself. After dusting the sand off his back he looked at her, really looked at her as he hadn't been able to on the hologram; her too pouty lips, too cold eyes, her broad forehead, unyielding jaw. And he found himself thinking she was very pretty, not beautiful not even memorable, but pretty nonetheless.

Catching him off guard again she brought her foot up and caught him full in the chest knocking him on his ass with the breath knocked out of him. In a matter of a second she was crouched beside him with his collar in her fists jerking his face closer until he felt her nose brush against his.

"Try that again and I'll be my own damn pilot. Ya got that?"

This was the lethal woman he'd imagined her to be, flashing eyes that promised death, no compassion. Yet then, with her so close he could count the freckles on her cheeks, he remembered he'd held a gun to her first. "Loud and clear," he answered quietly.

She looked at his warm brown eyes searching for any thought he might have of retaliating, any harboring loathing for her that'd have him trying anything. When she saw nothing but his honesty she shoved him back to the ground dropped the blaster in the sand beside him and turned away from him. She grabbed her bag hoisting it on her shoulder and called back to him; "get off your ass and keep up."


	7. Chapter 7

Poe jumped at the sudden roar of an engine going up thinking The Order had gotten a lock on their location, already knowing they were after him. Instead he saw Renegade-1 hooking a blaster to her belt as she continued walking south. "You gotta be kidding me," he muttered to himself realizing she wasn't chancing him leaving. As if it was even an option for him to wander the planet now that he had a target on his back, let alone leave her behind. At seeing her not even bothering to check that he was in fact following her he quickened his pace to catch up to her. "Where are we going?" he asked when he managed to meet her stride for stride.

"Niima Outpost."

He turned to her waiting for more, like what her plan was if she had one and how they'd get off the planet. "And then what?"

Without turning she replied, "that's need to know," making no effort to win him over. On the chance Rey wasn't there Eris would need a pilot, or at least she needed someone who knew how to get a ship running – she planned to get rid of him soon as his use ran out.

His steps faltered at that and he found himself looking at the back of her head as she outpaced him. "I'm pretty sure I need to know."

"Why, cause we're buddies now?" she asked with a cutting smirk curling half her mouth.

He jogged to catch back up and walked staring hard at the side of her face. "If you can't trust me enough to tell me where we're going why the hell would I ever trust you to keep your word?" he asked letting his hand brush against the blaster so he'd know where it was in case she pulled hers.

But she only scoffed and turned to him, surprising him again with the pale blue of her eyes especially when they glittered furiously. "I don't trust anyone," she told him firmly, "ever. And if you had any sense in that pretty head a yours you wouldn't either." She looked away from him seeing the outpost wasn't too far, another hour's walk and they'd be at the AT-AT and depending on what they found Eris would finish formulating a plan. "Least of all me."

He didn't doubt that for a second. "And yet you're putting me in a position where I have to trust you," he reminded her, showing her the hypocrisy of her own words. But even though he could see she agreed when she turned to him, her only response was the roll of her eyes as she huffed and continued marching. "Is there someone where we're going?" he asked seeing her already straight spine stiffen further, still she said nothing and this time she didn't look at him. It left him drawing his own conclusions. "Your guy's either there or on that ship. That's why you won't tell me anything, because you don't have a plan," he said realizing he was following not only a murderer but one who didn't even know what the next step was.

"I have two plans," she replied quietly, calmly – the kind of calm that made Poe uncomfortable. "One of which ends in me killing you. Keep pushing," she turned to him then, seeing where either worry or alarm should've been only wondering, "and they both will."

He didn't doubt that either, what he did doubt was how much she meant it. By his calculations she'd had three chances to kill him and two chances to kill BB. She hadn't taken any of them, and she was no Finn too good to keep fighting for The Order. Which left only one other conclusion: she'd never been with The Order. Everything he, and The Resistance, thought of her might all be false and he didn't quite know how to feel about that. "I know you were there last night."

"And?" she asked, last night being part of the reason she made no effort to soften toward him. Whether it was his continued silence or that he hadn't sounded at all accusing, she finally caved and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing just enough of his face to tell he was frowning. "If it means anything one of my plans involves your droid being on that ship too, and your stormtrooper if the other TIE fighters were anything to go by."

"How'd you guess that?" he asked not chancing hope yet.

She shrugged looking once more at the small, smoking, wrecked outpost as she walked. "They were centered on the outpost, your droid woulda made it there earlier today, the guy would've made it around the time the TIE fighters started shooting."

He nodded seeing how the two fit, three counting her. "How does your guy come into all this?" he asked having no idea what to expect, he couldn't even tell from her face if she cared for this unknown person.

"It was about the time," Eris paused remembering not to say she, "they would've been to the outpost. Besides of course they're just about the only person on this planet who'd actually help." And before he could ask more she said, "that's all I'm saying."

Closing his mouth Poe turned to the settlement they were approaching though still a ways from. He swallowed feeling his throat unsticking before folding back together, feeling sweat beading on his forehead and his back. "Got any water?" He faced her hard eyes and clenched jaw waiting for an answer, expecting her to tell him to wait because she was in no way generous. But with a growl she pulled a small pouch out of her bag and extended it irritably toward him. He drank happily, no more than a mouthful and as warm as the sun burning over their heads, but it was a relief none the less already the feeling of choking had subsided. "Thanks."

Her own throat was so dry it felt like it'd closed, her tongue swollen and parched, but she only snatched the empty canteen from him and shoved it back in her bag. She continued on their endless walk saying nothing, hearing his breaths grow more ragged the hotter he got. He had a thin dirty shirt as his only means of cover, she had her jacket and scarf that not only covered her head but also her shoulders.

Poe flinched at a weight falling over his head almost thinking she'd decided he was useless to her, though the comfort of shade was immediate. His breaths seemed deeper, his head seemed to cool. Reaching a hand to it he found it was leather, and gray. He turned to her and squinted through the glare to see in place of her jacket the pale skin of her arms; she'd pulled the end of the scarf draped over her head as far down her shoulders as she'd been able. It was a kind gesture, though her face was cross. Try as he might Poe just couldn't peg her, she didn't fit into simple categories like good or bad: he didn't know what to make of her. So he'd go with it until he figured her out.

It was her turn to flinch at the feel of his knuckles brushing against her arm. She quickly turned to him not only unused to being touched but also the intimacy of another person's skin against her own. Following his gaze she saw the dark scabbed cut on her arm, framed by red irritated skin from being infected only the day before. Her next step went wide gaining distance forcing him to withdraw his hand.

"What's your name?" he asked knowing no amount of charming words would loosen her tongue if she didn't want it.

He was right, she preferred blunt over allure – she'd been traveling the galaxy longer than any stay in a 'home,' seen as many species as there were to find, stayed with them delighted in their cultures for a short time. Nothing surprised her anymore, nothing enchanted her. "You really think I'm gonna answer that?" she asked instead of answered.

Giving a short laugh he turned away nodding having expected as much. "Fraid it'll make it easier to track you after you've come quietly?"

He was grinning when she looked over at him, proud of himself for using her own promise against her leaving her with nothing else to do but answer. He was sure of himself, not overly so nor boastingly, but he knew when he'd won. "I'll give you that," she reluctantly said, her voice just slightly rising in octave so that she didn't sound completely like a monotonous cyborg.

"I'd rather your name."

From his point of view he saw nothing more than the muscles of her jaw as she grit her teeth, a show of displeasure what he believed to be her response to him – however it was displeasure at herself. She was grinding her jaw to keep from smiling. "Eris."

 _Eris_ Curt, precise, gave no leaning toward femininity – it suited her. Though he preferred Renegade-1, it sounded more exciting more worthy of caution. "There a last name to go with it?"

Eris turned in the direction of him without taking her eyes off the speeder heading their way having just left the outpost. "That's crossing the line," she said knowing her surname might give her away. Or at least who she used to be, and who she used to be with.

As joking at that statement might've sounded, and with her bland tone it didn't sound all that humorous, Poe knew there was a seriousness to it. "Alright," he said letting it go for the time being. He watched her lengthen her strides until she'd gotten a few steps ahead of him, and then he nearly stumbled as she stepped in front of him and came to an abrupt stop. Left with little else to do but walk into her sun-warmed back he wrapped his hands around her waist to catch himself. He half expected her to turn and demand he release her, he'd already seen she didn't like casual contact, but she made no movement – she hadn't even jolted as he ran into her, she stood still. Immoveable.

For the moment she didn't mind the feel of him, his chest expanding rapidly against her back, his hands on her hips – she knew where he was and she knew other than his head she shielded him entirely. More than that he was close enough she could easily move him should the need arise. And as she thought the loud hum of the speeder began winding down as it came to a stop. She had her blaster in hand pointing it at the driver before they'd even reached her. "Keep moving."

Her voice was low, firm, her face unyielding. With her blaster already drawn there was no chance for the driver to pull his own before she got a shot off – and with the man so close behind her it was clear she wasn't letting anyone near.

Poe turned his head as the landspeeder shot passed them watching it disappear, impressed with her tact. She'd offered no threat, no words to entice fear – but her calmness, her assuredness that she didn't need an idle threat, made her something to be feared. Turning back to her he saw her eyes on his face waiting for him to let her go now that the immediate danger had passed. "Poe Dameron," he greeted extending a hand.

With a roll of her eyes she slapped his hand away before walking again. "Considering you tried to kill me not too long ago, I'm not gonna pretend I care to know you."

He stared at her back unable to help the few chuckles that escaped him. "You're a piece of work," he said to himself shaking his head. But she wasn't half bad, very guarded and entirely untrusting to the point of rude, but she wasn't at all what he expected. He quickly caught up to her, her pace was greatly slowed as she scanned the area around them as more people moved in and out of the town they were fast approaching. "So are you not as bad as you make yourself out to be, or is it my usefulness?"

With a sigh she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You seem like a clever guy, I'm sure you can figure it out," she said by way of answer. It was true, he knew it was because she didn't yet know if she needed him. And she was quick to shoot him down as he tried to say something else, ready for his incessant talking to end. "Stop trying to know me, you don't want to."

His steps faltered at how sure she sounded of that, and he watched her disappear around a tent as they entered the torn through outpost. "Why not?" he asked, her answer dictating what he'd next think about her. And if he was right, in the way he thought BB-8 might've been, then he was gonna end this not wanting to arrest her.

"I'm not good company."

Throwing back the torn flap he quickly searched for her, finding her pale back easily amidst the darker clothed people around her. He didn't say much else as he followed her, feeling her hand every now and then reaching back to grab any part of him to pull him closer as they moved around someone eyeballing them. And then he was wrapping an arm around her catching himself as she suddenly stopped. Though a bright smile quickly formed on his mouth at the sight of water. His mouth grew dryer at the realization of his thirst nearing its end, and he quickly snatched a cup off the table and helped himself to the stream that flowed from a crudely made fountain.

Eris watched him take cup after cup, watched it trickle from the corners of his mouth as he gulped. Leaning against the counter she set down a credit chip to go with each cup he filled wondering how he hadn't puked yet, until finally he slowed down and breathed. Raising her eyes to the scorched tarp above them she turned to the owner and set down two more before grabbing her own cup.

It wasn't until Poe turned to see her head back and her throat bobbing as she drank heavily that he realized she'd been walking since the night before – and all she'd had left was a sip of water, which she'd given him. He saw the gleam of the chips on the table realizing this water hadn't been free, and she'd silently paid for him to have his fill. There it was again, the faintest hint of kindness. "Thank you," he found himself telling her once more. This ruthless bounty hunter, this First Order hired gun, a person he had in fact just recently tried to kill by shooting her ship down. Something was wrong with the picture he had of her, and Poe was realizing it might be him that was wrong.

"You want another?" she asked sounding more sardonic than benevolent. His answer came in a quick shake of his head as he waited for what came next, and she took a swig before handing him the rest of her water and moving passed him.

Seeing she'd left him half of her second cup he eagerly downed it, setting the cups back on the table and giving the small owner a quick smile and a thank you he turned and hurried after her as she never cared to wait for him. Only this time he was moving around overturned tables and chairs, excusing himself past the cluster of people still gathering their things after the attack. He turned at the sound of a commotion, grunts and hollers, hard blows being landed – seeing her nowhere in sight he was left walking around what used to be a trading post but had been hit by a passing ship.

Blaster in hand Eris looked down at the crolute not liking his ugly blobby face anymore than when she'd first met him. "Two food portions," she demanded dryly.

Unkar Plutt sneered up at the arrogant woman who'd just knocked out the last of his guards. "Yeah, what're ya sellin?" he demanded in return.

Without any show of care she raised the gun level with his beady eyes. "How bout your life?" At her arm being lowered she turned to see Poe at her side staring at her exasperated.

"Or," he said turning to the rather mean looking crolute, "we could help you get your affairs in order in exchange for two food portions," he offered reasonably thinking it was a fair trade.

Though as reasonable as it might've been both Eris and Plutt turned to the well meaning man incredulous at his simple suggestion. And the two looked back at each other, momentarily sharing the same look, before she held the blaster under Plutt's wobbly chin. "Two food portions," she demanded again. But then she turned to where Poe still stood beside her and snidely added, "please."

As Unkar Plutt held up two packs Eris lowered the gun and plucked them from his meaty hands stalking back around the trade post to where the benches were. Leaving Poe, yet again, to hurriedly follow after.


	8. Chapter 8

She didn't let them rest for long. Soon as he was done eating she threw her jacket back over his head and told him to come on - she'd almost smiled at the way Poe paused after the first bite glad to see someone else hated the portion as much as she did. Almost, but she'd turned away. Now she walked in silence, not knowing if she wanted Rey to be there when she arrived. On the one hand she wouldn't need a pilot, between the two women they had more than enough to get off the planet. But on the other hand Rey wouldn't stand for him being killed, she'd call it murder and Rey was too soft for such things. With no hands left to weigh options, Eris thought she could live with Rey hating her because the alternative was her being on a run down freighter with The Order now after her.

"You said you had two plans," Poe said figuring she'd only keep him as long as she needed him. If they got wherever she was taking him to find her friend was still on the planet, he knew she'd kill him. He might've been reckless at times but he wasn't stupid, and when it came to fighting – because he was sure it would – he didn't think he'd be able to take her.

Eris wanted him to stay quiet, from the lack of talking over their meal she thought she'd finally shut him up. Of course she hadn't, he'd already proved to be chatty she didn't know why she'd expected anything else. "One and a half."

With her jacket held over his head he had to turn wide to see her. "Now we're down a half?" he asked tired of flying by the seat of _her_ pants.

With a rumbling sigh she stopped grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop with her. Though after a moment of looking at his shaded face, his furrowed brows, his frowning mouth, all framed by her jacket she couldn't take him seriously. He looked ridiculous, and she pulled it off him slinging it over her shoulder. "You see The Order anywhere?" she asked raising an arm to motion around them. "I was hired to find Lor San Tekka, I did, and they came and killed him. Then you had to go and let yourself be caught,"

"What?" he demanded insulted.

"and you told them whatever information Tekka had was in your droid. So d'you really thi- don't touch me," she said stepping away from the hand he'd raised to her arm to silence her.

"I didn't tell them anything," he said enunciating the word 'tell', feeling blood rushing to his face, swelling behind his eyes. "That was extracted from me, painfully by the way," he said as though he expected her to care when they both knew she wouldn't.

Her eyes rolled, as they'd been doing almost constantly since meeting him. "I've met Kylo Ren, I know he sucks," she said admitting she knew the pain he spoke of. "You still told 'em. As I was say- don't interrupt me," she said seeing his mouth open to speak again.

"I"

"Shut up. You asked me a question I'm answering it." She waited expecting him to keep talking, but he relented and stayed silent letting her continue. "As I was saying," she began again, hardening her already hard voice.

"Your attitude isn't helping," he said speaking over her, unable to resist the opportunity to piss her off.

And piss her off he did. "For fu-,"

"You're so negative."

She stared hard at his face, seeing the corners of his eyes were slightly creased – his mouth was straight but she knew he was only teasing her. And in retaliation, because she didn't feel like being teased, she pulled her arms through her sleeves and gave a short, "fine," before stalking off.

"Wait," Poe called turning to watch her go, "Eris, I wasn't," but she raised a hand without looking back and his shoulders dropped as he sighed. He hadn't been serious, at least not really. With a shake of his head he walked after her, the sun once more warming his scalp, and he quickly began to overheat. It didn't take him long to catch up, her pace wasn't that fast, and he walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets looking at her every so often to see how mad he'd made her. Traveling with her already wasn't easy, he didn't know how much worse it'd get with her being angry. He flinched again at a sudden weight falling over his head, only this time he knew what it was, and he pulled the jacket back to see her face.

"That crap's not funny, is it?" she asked almost innocently as she looked over at him.

As her words registered he gave a short laugh and shoved her, as he would have an old friend. "Not bad," he said letting himself appreciate her humor. It suited her as well as her name, rough and uneasy to gauge.

With a smile tugging on her mouth she fell back in line beside him. "I won't take it as well next time," she warned him, though in truth she'd probably react the same. It'd been a while since she had someone to joke with, to smile with and because of; she didn't know if she was ready to have someone else.

Letting the quiet hang they walked side by side in the blistering sun. Though it didn't hang for long. "You don't think your guy's here," he said realizing the half came from the decreased likelihood they were gonna find anyone where they were going. And the more time passed the more Poe grew sure they were going to a home.

"Order's after the information which is now in your droid. They'd follow it, and since they're not here your droid's not either," she said simply.

He didn't address how she knew the information was in BB-8, he was more curious about whether she even knew what the information was because it didn't sound like it. But what he said was, "and your guy's the only person on this planet who'd help," he finished for her seeing how it all fit in her mind. He watched her nod realizing he didn't know what she wanted, and she'd made it clear she wanted something – enough she'd give her freedom for it. "What do they mean to you?" he asked hoping she might fill in whether it was a man or woman she was with, because a different meaning went with both.

Eris was quiet as she thought, as she wondered why she was bothering to go after Rey at all – they were thoughts she rarely spared time for, thoughts too harrowing to dwell on. "A second chance," she finally answered. And at his lack of response she looked over at him to find him staring at the sand as he walked pondering her words, and most likely what they meant for him. "She's a good kid," Eris found herself saying before she'd had the chance to properly consider all the repercussions. She'd only thought of one, which was him turning to her surprised and curious; curious was good, it meant he wanted to know more and if he found her agreeable enough he might even defend her case when it came to arresting her. The only problem with that plan was her, she'd never been good at being agreeable.

Poe tried to picture her with anyone else, even a friend, but he failed. She was too hard, too guarded, too sad. However he didn't think it was impossible, she'd saved BB-8 for no real reason at all, at the appearance of a threat she had placed herself in front of him prepared to protect him – she was giving herself away without realizing it. Somewhere beneath that stone was something soft, vulnerable, and whoever this girl was she brought it out. "She wouldn't let you kill me," he stated when he realized what she hadn't said. And he found himself wondering when her thoughts in relation to his life had changed, because he hadn't noticed until then.

"Nor would she let you arrest me."

"I'm more concerned with whether you will," Poe responded in kind, watching the corner of her mouth twitch.

He wasn't bad, this pilot. Mouthy as anything, but not bad. "As you should be," she said not denying it.

That honesty had him grinning. A grin that quickly fell as they climbed an embankment, replaced by deep huffing and trembling legs. He'd been exhausted before the mission, then he'd been captured, tortured, escaped, and now walked without water under a scorching sun for hours. But her strides had lengthened, and she was tired as he was, which meant they were close. So he trekked on, spotting the home when they reached the top. "How'd she,"

"Don't ask," Eris said climbing down the small sandy hill seeing the overturned AT-AT half covered in sand. Eris knew on sight Rey wasn't there, her speeder was gone. A part of her Eris didn't realize had been holding onto hope gave a soft weary sigh, her shoulders drooped, her feet slowed, and tired settled in her bones making every step twice the effort. Throwing back the torn tarp she looked around the empty Walker for anything to make sleep more comfortable.

Poe was much less sure of himself, not claiming this place as his or even a friend's – his boots clanged loudly on the metal, much louder than hers as she knew how to make her feet light. The shade was a welcomed relief and he rubbed his dry aching eyes before looking around for himself. It was clear no part of Eris lived here, a handstitched pillow lay on the hammock where he'd set her jacket, a handstitched orange-suited pilot on a shelf, the thousands of scratches on the back wall signifying years spent in this makeshift home. But what caught his eye causing him to step closer was a small potted plant, one he knew for a fact didn't grow on the dry barren planet of Jakku – the water seemed to have evaporated completed, leaving it a crisp shell of what once might've been a beautiful flower. Picking up one of the fallen leaves he held it close to his eye trying to make out a color, but he pressed too hard and it shattered into dust leaving him holding nothing. Eris had brought it back out of nothing but care for this girl, and if he was right then Eris had only known her a week.

"Here," Eris said coming around the back wall with an old folded shirt for him to use as a pillow.

He took it from her with a sincere thanks and let his back slide down the wall as came to rest. Stretching his tired legs with head leaned back he could've fallen asleep right then, if not for her still moving around him. He watched her take a quick sip from her refilled canteen, then watched as she unwound the scarf from her head and wet part of it. "Thanks," he told her again when she handed him the pouch.

"Drink light, we'll need it tomorrow," she told him before kneeling at his side.

Doing as told, though it was much easier said than done when his mouth once more felt as dry as the desert, he took just enough to wet his tongue before screwing the lid on. At the feel of something touching the side of his head he blinked, gave a slight jerk, and turned to see what she was doing.

But she grabbed his chin and turned his face away from her. "Sit still," she told him, her tone much harsher than her actions.

Her damp scarf was cool against his warm skin as she gently dabbed at the dried blood caked on his temple, and he sat still enjoying the feel of it. Letting his eyes fall closed he might still have fallen asleep, only this time it was his mind keeping him awake focused on the dull aches along his body from where he'd been hit over and over, constantly remembering the feeling of his mind being torn open as Kylo Ren looked inside.  
Poe let her turn his chin toward her as she next cleaned his cheek, though her already gentle hands softened more at the sight of the bruise. Her dark brows were drawn together, her pouting mouth pulled tight in a frown, her pale eyes storing to memory the marks on his face as though she planned to repay them in kind. With her scarf no longer around her he saw her sleeves cut off at the top of her shoulder, and he spent several moments trying to find a pattern in the freckles he found dusting the skin of her arms. "Why do you work for them?" he asked quietly.

Without pausing she continued the soft strokes of the scarf, taking more of the blood each time. Kylo Ren didn't often deal in blows, which meant these marks had come from stormstroopers – and if Poe's mouth was anything to go by he'd instigated it. She could appreciate that, had talked herself into similar situations. "I don't," she answered realizing she was right about the Resistance thinking she was with The Order.

Somehow Poe expected that answer, at least now he'd spent the day observing her. She had many opportunities to kill, and yet the only two dead were the ones that would've killed him. "And yet you're their preferred choice," he said knowing she was. The same information that led them to Lor San Tekka had mentioned her, she'd had almost a hundred assignments given by The Order and she'd successfully completed all of them. But it was true that she wasn't with them, they'd always had to find her first; which meant she never stayed.

"You're as bad she was," Eris mumbled moving on to the cut on his lip, seeing another bruise on his chin. "I go where the money is. If you paid me to take out a First Order leader I wouldn't hesitate, that doesn't mean I work for you." She finished cleaning the last dried crusting of blood and moved away from him.

"You don't believe in their cause," he said trying to figure out how she could justify helping them if she didn't care.

Throwing her scarf aside she shook her head busying herself at a counter. "Don't believe in yours either."

Poe was brought short by that, by the weight of what she'd just said; she didn't believe in anything. She had no cause, she had the will to fight but no reason. He almost laughed to himself, she was another Finn only she didn't bother too much with right and wrong. Absolutely perfect, that's what he thought of her, she was perfect – The Order knew her, appreciated her effectiveness, preferred her over others, she was a double agent waiting to be used. "So what do you believe in?"

She didn't trust the sudden kindness in his voice, not when before he'd started sounding accusatory. He wanted something, and it made her seethe knowing she wasn't in a position to refuse. "I believe your side is capable of being just as wrong as theirs," she told him honestly.

"Really?" he asked rising to aching feet so he could stand level with her.

She raised a shoulder offhandedly. "If your stormtrooper hadn't saved you would you have known he was good?" she asked watching him pause as he'd been stepping closer. They stood an arms distance now, and she could see the doubt begin creeping in his dark eyes. "Are you so sure there aren't others like him waiting for an opportunity to act on, that you either killed or will kill before they have the chance to decide whether to act on it?"

He shook his head knowing that way of thinking, as true as it might've been, would only end in him being killed. "You can't fight a war thinking like that."

"Because your life is more important than theirs," she said filling in the gaps he wasn't saying.

"No, that's not,"

But she spoke over him: "if you wasted time questioning everyone's belief you'd get killed."

"Exactly," he said before he realized she'd backed him into a corner.

Eris didn't think she'd get him on her side or even get him to see things her way, what she wanted was for him to at least understand why she behaved as she did. It'd make him more likely to defend her when the time came. "So you make the executive decision that every life not dedicated to your cause is held at a place lesser than your own: they're the 'bad guys," she made mock quotations with her fingers, "kill 'em all. Those civilians aren't fighting for us so we can take resources they rely on for our soldiers cause it's 'for the good of the cause'. And you know what, Poe?" she asked, and he waited for her to say something else snidely to prove her way was better, only that wasn't what he got. "All of war's that way. Then now someday, it'll always be like that. So no," she said taking a breath and leaning against the counter behind her, "I don't believe in anyone's cause. I don't believe in right and wrong. I don't,"

"Wait," Poe said making her sigh at him interrupting her again, "how can you not believe in right and wrong? Even the 'bad guys'," he said using the same phrase she had, "think what they're doing's right, and then base their actions upon that belief." The confusion creasing his face cleared when he understood what he'd said, what she'd gotten him to say. "Right and wrong are subjective to the individual faced with a choice," he said giving her that one, whether or not he agreed with it. And he found it fascinating that at no point had she made him feel like he was required to.

Again she shrugged indifferently, the same way she lived life – uninterested, without compassion, and entirely changeable. "I look at things in terms of necessary and unnecessary," she told him, making him only one of two people she'd ever told that. Well, one, considering the other was now dead.

Contemplating that he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, finding himself comfortably open with her in that moment. "Give me an example."

"Alright, I'll use us. You think I've done something wrong and want to arrest me, in your mind you're in the right and I'm in the wrong. Me personally, I can see how you might think I've done something wrong," she said, and he snorted at her half-assed confession, "however I've never killed anyone on a planet that prohibited it so I haven't technically broken any laws which means to me you don't have the right to arrest me. And because it's all about me I then have the right to kill you, because to me you were in the wrong."

His gaze might've been on the stitching around her hip but his mind was far away as he thought of what all she was saying, and understanding what she meant. There was a man, a former hero really, who'd had ideas very similar to that – and though a smuggler was much different than a bounty hunter Poe saw the resemblance. "By that standard," he said turning his eyes back to her face, "isn't it also necessary for you to kill me?" he asked still not seeing how the two ideals were different.

"It isn't necessary," she said simply. "Had we found her here we would've dropped you somewhere safe to get back to the Resistance and we'd have gone on our way."

It didn't hit him all at once how much that viewpoint explained, it was a gradual understanding; that was why she hadn't killed BB-8, or him for that matter, they weren't part of the job therefore it wasn't necessary. However, part of the job was keeping the Resistance from finding out what The Order was after, so killing Lor San Tekka's ally to keep him from talking _had_ been necessary. She might've been the most confusing individual he'd had the chance of meeting. "So that's the plan now, finding your friend dropping me off and going into hiding?"

This time she was the one to look away. "No, you giving away your position last night – a position they knew I'd been in only an hour before – has them under the assumption I'm with you. There is no hiding." She pushed off from the counter and walked to the bed pulling her jacket on, feeling the air begin to cool as the sun sank lower in the sky. Looking over her shoulder she saw his shadowed face waiting for a plan, impatiently as well. "We'll go to the Resistance, I'll help find her, she believes in your cause she'll stay and fight."

He watched her lay down with her back to him, her legs curled, her arms pulled around her – she looked small. "You'd be arrested," he said not understanding anything anymore. But she remained silent, stubborn, and he quickly gave up waiting as he returned to where he'd once sat leaning against the wall. Only this time he was on his back with a thin shirt for a pillow, and now he felt like he knew less about her than before.

She'd been weighing her options, going round and round through every possibility – most of which ended in either her dead or both of them, one included all three, and one involved Rey dying and her living. There was only one option that ended with them all being alive, whether or not it was what Eris wanted. "You remember I said I'd met Kylo Ren?"

Poe turned surprised at the sound of her voice, finding that in the dark without her stern face to go with it, it almost sounded sweet. "Yeah," he answered.

She fell quiet again, considering exactly how much of herself she wanted to give him; he was a bleeding heart, if she wanted him on her side then she'd have to show him hers. He might not understand the reason she felt so drawn to Rey, she might not fully understand it either, but he'd get the gist of it – a mother's need to protect her child, whether or not the child was her own. "It's the only way to keep her safe." And as quickly as she'd left herself open to him she closed herself once more. "Now shut up and go to sleep."

He gave a short breathy laugh not knowing what way she rubbed him, only that he didn't mind her company – she wasn't by any means an easy companion, but she was better than she'd given credit. "Night Eris," he said. He smiled when he heard her grumbled, thought I told you to shut up. "I heard that," he told her.

"You were supposed to."

This time he laughed, laughed like he thought he wouldn't get to again. He could've died, should have died. It felt good to laugh, deep in his belly, splitting his face with a smile. She wasn't that bad of company at all.

…

Poe shot awake thinking he was back on The First Order's base, having heard and felt the rumbling of ship. He opened his eyes so sure he'd be strapped back in that chair with that terrible masked figure still there, Eris having only been an invention of his mind.

What he saw was a dim light just barely able to shine through the door, illuminating half his face as the tarp cast a shadow on the other. He was in the AT-AT, and he nearly gave a heaving sigh of relief if not for the thought of what had woken him. Because he had heard something.

Slowly he climbed to his feet, a hand to the wall to help pull himself up to avoid unnecessary noise. Once fully erect he turned to his left looking for Eris, prepared to protect her if need be. Only she'd woken before him, had been woken because of him and the nightmare he'd been fighting; and then she'd heard the speeder whizzing past then circling around before coming to a stop. Poe instead found her already at his side blaster in hand, her eyes trained on the opened door.

With a nudge he knew she meant for him to stay there while she went out, placing herself as his protector once more. He would've refused if they hadn't been trapped in that fallen walker, but they made easy targets and it was possible the person outside didn't know they were there. So Poe silently watched her creep toward the door and stop, listening to the quiet shifting of sand beneath feet, before she threw herself from behind the tarp and collided with the individual who'd been about to step inside. There was a moment when she was fully person by the moonlight, and for that moment Poe thought her hair was the color of starlight. But then she disappeared as she tumbled in the sand, hearing a deep voice cry out as she landed vicious blow.

And then there was silence. Holding his breath Poe strained to hear, Eris didn't make a sound so he knew if he heard someone moving it wouldn't be her. But he heard nothing more than the wind striking the metal. Carefully he pulled the blaster from his belt and inched forward, but he was stopped by her voice calling out to him.

"Poe."


	9. Chapter 9

Giving up the pretense of silence he allowed his boots to fall heavily on the metal as he rushed for the door and threw back the tarp not sure what to prepare himself for. As likely as it was Eris could've been neutralized, as he'd only seen her fight the day before, he honestly thought she was too proud for such things. His next thought was her friend having returned and while sleeping Eris had decided to kill him after all and this was her drawing him out – even then, given her quiet difficult admittance of why she was doing all this for one person, he didn't think that was the case either.

What Poe saw in the dim moonlight was Eris holding her blaster level with a rather small foe standing no taller than Poe's waist. Squinting he caught the gleam of pink skin, a short snout, and what he thought might've been very small eyes; a grin curled half his mouth at their luck, a Blarina. Help at last. "Everything alright?" he asked still holding his gun at his side not seeing a threat anywhere but Eris.

"No, I came only looking to rest my head and this one," the Blarina said jabbing an accusatory finger at Eris who'd still yet to lower her gun, "attacks me and now look at her."

"He came to see what could be looted," Eris said, her tone low and severe.

The Blarina scoffed as though in outrage at such an accusation, and Poe was quick to step to her side and force her arm down. "You don't know that," he said though he thought she was probably right. However help wouldn't be easy to come by if they angered their new comrade, something Eris wasn't happily coming to terms with.

She felt his hand encircling her wrist holding her blaster at her hip realizing he was gonna try to bargain with this creature. "He's a scavenger," she said turning hard eyes to Poe.

"D'you know him?" he asked motioning to the Blarina that turned his gaze from their almost joined hands to their very similarly disgruntled faces.

Raising a hand to point behind the alien she watched Poe turn and squint in the darkness. "His speeder's designed with a longer bed to hold parts he scavenged. Which is why he parked it over there, cause he didn't know if the Walker was occupied. Well guess what," she said turning back to their 'new comrade' with her teeth bared, causing him to bare his own only they were much sharper than hers, "it is. So feel free to- mmhm," she mumbled when a hand clamped over her mouth from behind.

Poe wrapped an arm around her middle, making sure her arms were trapped so she couldn't lash out, and lifted her feet off the ground. "Just a moment," he told the Blarina before walking with a now kicking Eris back into the fallen AT-AT. "Kick me again," he growled in her ear making her still. When he'd gotten her back to the hammock he set her down and pushed her to sit. "Stay here," he tried to tell her, but she of course spoke over him.

"The hell are you thinking?" she demanded trying to stand only for his hand push her lightly back down.

"What the hell am I thinking?" he repeated. "We need off the planet and he's our only option, that's what the hell I'm thinking. Considering your people skills are greatly lacking the only thing we got going for us is me. You're gonna – shut up," he hissed watching her lean back as though he'd struck her, but really she was rather impressed by how he'd taken command. "I didn't mean that," he was quick to say in apology, "but seriously shut up. You're gonna stay here, it's my turn to help you." He waited for her to object, could see on her darkly lit face she wasn't at all happy with him going out there alone, but she stayed quiet.  
He walked back out of the ship, stopped at the threshold only to see she was still sitting where he'd put her, and turned back to find the place the alien had been was now empty. Letting the tarp fall over him he quickly scanning the area and found him kneeling beside a part from the AT-AT half buried in the sand. "Hey," he said in a hushed voice rushing forward, looking quickly over his shoulder to make sure Eris hadn't come out to see what he was doing, "I'm trying to keep her from killing you, you could at least try to make it easy."

The Blarina stood and gave a small kick to the rusted metal. "Ah, it's worth nothing anyhow," he said also turning to the Walker to see if the pale haired human had come for the man she was very clearly invested in. "Your friend is very pretty."

Poe gave a short laugh and nodded. "She's something alright," he muttered more to himself as he turned back to their guest. "So who are you then?"

Squinting up at the taller man he answered, "Naka Iit."

"Poe Dameron," he greeted, shaking Naka's small hand. "Nice to meet ya Naka Iit."

In the eerie silence of the bare desert with nothing but the wind singing gently against the side of the Walker Eris heard every word spoken. But still she silently crept toward the door, snaking across the light and back into darkness, and stood hidden in the doorway watching Poe shake the alien's hand. The last time she'd traveled with someone who used words as a weapon it didn't go well, mostly because his words had been empty and in his long life he spoke too often and there was no one left to be fooled by an old man's lies.

The pilot on the other hand had the advantage of being sincere, a sincerity Eris hadn't realized still existed. He admitted to this alien his having escaped from The Order, stealing and crashing a TIE fighter in the process, was saved by Eris, and now needed to get back to the Resistance. Only he'd said, we. We need to get back to the Resistance. He made it sound as though she were with him, an ally, someone he didn't mind walking beside; he included her as thoughtless as Rey had. And it had Eris sighing at having found another one.

Poe could understand how the Blarina wouldn't believe him, no one escaped The Order, but he wasn't sure if Eris would care. He didn't think she'd take as well to being called a madman, not when the person calling her names was requesting a place to sleep. The sound of his hesitation could almost be heard in the dull thunks of his footsteps as he stepped onto the fallen door and walked to the doorway, his shoes scuffing, his brows drawn together showing he was deep in thought – thinking of how to phrase it to make her more inclined to agree.  
Only when he stepped inside the AT-AT he didn't find her still sitting on the hammock, not that he really expected her to be. Without turning he asked, "take it you heard everything?"

Eris stepped forward and walked around his back to stand at his side, waiting for him to turn his head to look at her. "I don't like your plan," she told him simply. In truth it was the best plan they had, however she wasn't warming to the idea of spending the rest of the night with this Naka Iit let alone him knowing where Rey lived.

Poe shrugged. "Well then I guess it's good I didn't ask," he said before thinking it all the way through. He sighed as her already hard eyes steeled even more. "I know you figured out he's our best option, stop being difficult."

"Not possible my mad friend."

Both Eris and Poe turned to look down at Naka, who'd quietly joined them and listened to their arguing. "She can be decent when she wants to," Poe said thinking she was being bull-headed for the sake of it since Poe hadn't consulted her before making the decision.

But Naka Iit looked at Eris' cold face with her grit teeth and her curled hands, her weight shifted to one leg so that her hip was just barely positioned in front of Poe without his realizing. "She will not want to with me near," Naka told him.

Those words had Poe looking to Eris to see her stony face, not denying it. And then he noticed her stance, her left foot planted between his, her arm held at her side ready to throw him back – she was still protecting him. "Maybe not," he agreed quietly, realizing he again had her pegged all wrong.

Turning to look at him over her shoulder she jerked her head behind them. "Lay down," she ordered, not unkindly, and looked back to the Blarina. "You're there," she said pointing to the place Poe had been sleeping only a few minutes before.

Naka Iit grinned at her lacking hospitality as she leaned more toward hostility. "Tell me, Poe Dameron's fair companion, do you claim loyalty to the Resistance?" he asked standing no taller than her waist but still proud as he stared up at her unyielding expression.

Having stretched out on the hammock as Eris had requested Poe said, "I'm workin on it."

Naka Iit kept his yellow stare trained on the woman to see her eyes roll up in irritation, though she didn't give voice to it – she didn't mean it, Naka realized, it was a show to hide that she actually quite liked this irritating man. "How am I to be sure you," he stressed the word as he stared up at her, knowing the man would do nothing, "will not scavenge me?" he asked thinking it was more likely than the latter. Considering he was now more curious of the two than before he was most certainly taking them with him, if not for the entertainment of watching them butt heads.

With the curling of one corner of her mouth Eris gave a rude smirk as she looked down her nose at the small alien. "Considering I'll kill you first I'd say you'd never know."

Rolling his own eyes Poe sat up prepared to demand she apologize, but the Blarina beat him to it with a dry cackle of a laugh. "A mad man's fearsome woman," Naka Iit pointing a short thin finger at her, "you are something." After a long look he watched her move to the bed strung from the wall, and narrowed his beady eyes to watch the way the man looked up as she sat with her legs curled beside his feet. The man trusted her, but he didn't know her and he didn't know what to expect – they were a strange pair. Naka Iit chuckled quietly to himself as he laid his head on the makeshift pillow he knew the man had been using before. A strange pair indeed.

She wouldn't sleep easily if she slept at all, of that Poe was certain. He'd at least had moments of unconsciousness the night before, granted he was bruised and aching, but she was now on her second day without sleep and that wasn't the counting two nights before when he hadn't been with her to know if she'd slept. Poe could see she was exhausted, the dark creases under her eyes, the heavy way she leaned against the hammock. She'd stay awake for nothing more than to make sure he was still breathing when the sun rose; she was baffling.

"You're staring," she commented softly feeling the weight of his eyes on her face.

"I'm just surprised," he said earning her curious gaze, "I figured you'd at least ask me out before you got me in bed."

While he gave a wide, handsome, grin she let out a rush of air that could just barely be passed for a laugh. "Goodnight Poe," she said not bothering to respond, though her amusement was heard in her softened voice.

He took what little she gave, it being more than he'd gotten all day, and settled on his back feeling her uncurl her legs. Sleep, he found, came easier with her feet against his arm, his own feet against her warm hips – no longer cold or alone he dreamt lighter, her constant almost overwhelming presence gave a sense of comfort if not safety. He slept the remainder of the night without dark thoughts.

Poe felt rested upon waking, still sore and reluctant to leave the warmth of the too small bed, but rested regardless. Stretching the muscles in his overused legs he found his feet unable to move, and when he lowered his chin to look at where Eris had once been watching over him he saw her fast asleep. She was turned on her side toward him with her arms crossed, one of which was over his boots anchoring them, and her legs spread down the length of his body as she lay pressed against him. It was no wonder he'd slept so well, and with a small smile he rested a hand on her leg almost affectionately – would have been affectionately if she was someone he could imagine being affectionate toward.

At some point in the night she'd decided Naka Iit's surprisingly loud snores were good enough evidence he wouldn't try anything. And she really had been tired. "Stop touching me," she mumbled between lips that barely moved, but from his stilled hand she knew he heard. Listening was another matter. She had no plans of moving, at least not yet, she was warm and comfortable, and if he kept still she could've fallen back asleep.

Poe might've thought something similar, at least to sleeping because he already wasn't moving, if he hadn't been woken by their guest. Eris, however, was taken by surprise when she next inhaled to discover a faint hint of something that smelled like meat. In the time it took for Poe's eyes to close and reopen she went from laying down to sitting up with a leg slung off the bed as she looked to the wall for the alien. Not having much to grab, because her clothes wrapped around her like a second skin, he instead wrapped a hand around her leg as she stood catching her knee. "He's making breakfast," Poe said hoping to calm her but from her tense muscles he knew she wouldn't be calm.

"With whose food?" she demanded through clenched teeth. She stalked toward the back wall where the small burner was stationed on a counter, one Rey had used several times when Eris had been chained with her. Only Eris found her feet once more swept off the ground as Poe wrapped an arm around her waist and carried her outside.

"You are….the most….stubborn…person I have ever…you want me to drop you in the sand?" All the while she'd pulled at his arm, thrown her heels back managing to strike at his shins his knees, a little too close to his groin – that last one drew the line.

She stopped fighting, her legs were curled up toward her chest, her hands holding tight to his arm. "Let go," she told him sternly, feeling a headache coming on from how close her brows came to being joined. She threw herself out of his arms when he'd set her down and she ran her hands down the front of her as though to wipe him off. "Pick me up again and I just might break your arm," she warned honestly considering it. Though she didn't consider it for as long as she would've if she really meant it; what she wanted to say was I don't appreciate being manhandled because I am in no way the girl you save, but what came out of her mouth was a threat.

One Poe knew was idle, and because she made it so easy he decided to test her patience. Without warning he stepped forward bending at the waist, and rammed into her middle throwing her over his back. He stood wrapping both arms around her now thrashing legs feeling her hands hitting his back.

"Put me down," she yelled putting her elbows into it as she dug their sharp corners into his shoulder blades.

And even then, with her rightfully attacking him, he knew she was holding back because none of her strikes had fallen with the intention to cause pain. "Go on," he egged, "break my arm then."

She let out a cracking groan, her stomach pinned to his shoulder. "You think you're so funny," she ground out staring at his shoes in the sand and every so often the end of her hair as it swung to and fro.

"As a matter of fact," he said with a laugh as he turned to the doorway to see Naka Iit standing with two plates observing the two. "We're good," he told the curious Blarina, "she's just a little cranky."

Her body jolted as he repositioned her with a shrug of his shoulders, his arm catching the back of her knees leaving her dangling down his back so that her hands were now closer to his ankles. He made the mistake of stepping toward the AT-AT, taking one foot off the ground to move it forward. She took that moment, when he had only one foot on the ground, to grab his standing leg and pulled sharply backward. The result was him falling causing him to let her go so he could catch himself before his face hit the sand. And he wasn't wholly sure what exactly happened next only that it ended with him on his back and her with a knee on either side of him pinning his arms to the ground.

"Not so funny now, is it?" she asked settling herself on his chest almost gloating.

He stared up at her, her face illuminated in the early morning light – her pale hair made gold, her light blue eyes glinted with what he thought might've been a smile though her mouth was still a straight line. "It's a little funny," he said watching what little mirth that'd been shining in her eyes softening her face slowly melt away until there was nothing but stone left in its place.

She climbed off him, returning once more to the sullen-faced woman she'd become, and extended a hand to him.

That was the last she spoke to him that morning. Naka Iit had filled her place and asked Poe more about his supposed 'escape', still not believing it. Eris' only response to anything was she wasn't there, which meant his tale went without validation. She silently listened to the story about the turncoat stormtrooper, the one he'd given the name Finn – figuring that was the dark skinned individual she'd seen yesterday. It was in fact a hard story to believe, nevertheless it had Naka Iit curious enough he agreed to take them to Blowback town where a second Blarina named Ohn Gos might have the heart to help the two.

A few hours later and they were all piled in Naka's speeder, him at the forefront where neither human would fit, and the two of them sitting bent around each other in the bed. While it was long enough for Poe to sit with his legs stretched out it wasn't by any means wide enough for him, and Eris was left sitting perpendicular with her back held at one side of the bed and her feet flat on the other with her knees bent almost to her chest where his legs ran beneath them. It was far from comfortable, but they both could agree it was better than walking.

And after so long of not speaking to her, her face now much less severe, he couldn't help himself. "Do you like your job?" he asked watching her loose hair blow gently across her neck in the wind.

Her mind now free of the memories she'd spent years locking away she was able to shrug. "It pays," she answered shortly.

He waited for more without really knowing why – he didn't know much about her, and how difficult it was to get her to elaborate was the sole reason why. "Yeah but does it make you wake up happy to do it all again?" he asked wondering if there was a way to get her on his side. Even if she didn't believe in the Resistance's because she could still be an ally, especially now The Order thought she was an enemy.

With heavily creased brows she turned to him wondering what the hell he was going on about. "What part of my face gives you the impression I ever wake up happy?" she asked hearing Naka Iit snort from where he sat in front of them.

Poe fell silent as he turned that over in his head, as he looked at her incredibly uninviting face and saw how true it was. "Sounds like a hard life," he said wondering how it was possible to live everyday without the will to.

Her shoulders dropped with how heavily she sighed, hearing in his voice and seeing it etched into his now displeased face that he genuinely seemed to be sorry about that. "I once broke into a slave facility and set every slave free," she said watching him turn to her with eyes narrowed in curious wondering – not sure if he should believe her. "There were four of us; a smuggler and his pet, me, and a," she sat gently pulling on a fold in his pants as she thought of what to call them, "friend. He'd been brought up there. Had a lot of fun gettin a slave collar on the leader."

Poe stared at the side of her face as she sat squinting to see past the horizon, her mind a light year away. "He was a good man, this friend of yours?" he asked wishing so much to see her thoughts.

Her voice was light, unsure, vulnerable as she next spoke. "He used to joke about how he'd started a war, and the battles were doing one good act a day."

She didn't have to say it Poe knew he was dead, had probably been for some time given the fact that her face was as hard as before she'd began. But he could feel in the increasingly rough way her fingers pulled at a seam in his pants something in her was still sad, whether or not she'd willingly show it.

"So far," she continued, "three of my good acts have been you." She looked down at her hand to see she was fidgeting, something she rarely allowed herself, and she released the fabric she'd been absentmindedly playing with and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Well, one I guess was saving your droid you were kinda lumped in with that one."

Poe gave a small laugh to that, but he stuck on was what she meant; whoever that man had been he'd meant enough to her that she thought of him everyday. Whether he acted on it Poe knew loss, and he knew what it looked like when a person hadn't learned how to cope and Eris looked an awful like he had when his mother died. "So it's exciting," he said letting everything else go in favor of something she'd find easier to answer.

"It can be," she answered not knowing why she'd told him any of that – she couldn't even claim it was to make him like her because she hadn't been thinking of needing him to defend her at all. "I was a hired mercenary for that one. Other times I simply do a job, and when I decide to not kill someone I'm repaid by him shooting me down on a barren desert planet," she said letting her head fall to the side to give him a long look before she turned back to the desert they drove on.

Poe laughed briefly seeing her point, though in his defense he hadn't known at the time she'd spared him. "Killing me shouldn't have been a factor in the first place," he responded seeing her mouth twitch. "You like credits and a good time, what else?" he asked trying to know more about her. Not that she made it easy. "At the end of the day before you go to sleep, what do you want?"

She was quiet a short moment as she gave it a good proper consideration, long enough he started to think she might not answer but not long enough for him to lose hope. "A small corner of the universe," she answered falling back to what she'd always wanted. "It's quiet, peaceful. Safe."

He nodded thinking it sounded about right, he'd already figured she liked solitude – and maybe one other person, if the length she was going to find this 'kid' was anything to go by. "Anyone in particular you wanna share it with?" he asked anyway, wanting to hear her answer for himself.

Behind him he heard dry laughter. "I see the Resistance doesn't teach the fine art of subtly," Naka Iik said more to himself as he listened to their conversation. The more he heard from the woman the less of a threat she seemed, whether or not he liked her was an entirely different matter.

Eris hadn't heard the Blarina, she'd been too busy staring with narrowed eyes at the blurred sand they drove past. Poe had posed his question innocently enough, his tone nothing but polite, but she knew the intention behind it – the probing, the interest. "That'd ruin the peace," she told him. Before he could respond with more than a knowing grin she asked, "what about you, what d'you want?"

"Besides taking out The First Order," he said which would have to be his first, "I wouldn't mind my own ship. Fly it wherever I wanted, wouldn't need to bother with settling down it's home enough." He sat with a funny smile stuck on his face as he imagined it; he could keep a small crew if not only one other person to be his copilot, BB-8 could look after things. But that dream was still a far way off, more likely than not a dream to be fulfilled by some other pilot. So his mind returned to Jakku and he looked back at Eris to find her already looking at him. "I wouldn't mind a corner to park it."

Her face smoothed to granite and she told him levelly, "you're not invited."

Just as seriously Poe replied, "But now I know where to find you." He watched her almost transform as a smile seemed to split her face, tugging on her round cheeks, wrinkling the skin at the corner of her eyes. "So she does smile," he said working past the initial daze at her very white teeth.

Though he watched her face slowly wilt as her mouth returned to its normal frown, her brows drew together, and her eyes distractedly fell to his chest. "What is it?" he asked expecting an answer even though he knew she wouldn't give one. Instead she turned and leaned over him, hitting Naka Iit in the arm.

"We haven't much farther now if you can find the patience to wait."

Poe leaned back craning his neck to one side feeling her chest against his cheek, not to mention her legs which were flush against his own chest. "Anytime you wanna remember I'm here," he said not knowing why he'd ever think she'd notice. "I mean I'm perfectly content," he continued unheard as he brought a hand up to her hip, thinking maybe the contact might get her attention. "If you wanted to sit like this for the rest of the trip you could a just said so. I'm aware of the little thing we've got goin, from the moment I started shootin your ship I felt like you were into me. S'alright, a lot women,"

"Shut up Poe," she growled losing her patience with both men. "Turn the damn speeder off."

Poe had thrown a hand up in surrender, though with the shake of his head and grinding of his jaw it was clear he was quickly bordering frustration. Though as the speeder slowed down Eris quickly jumped over the side and Poe was sitting up in alarm with the understanding that she wasn't just being uncooperative. He watched her run a short distance from where Naka Iit stopped, who cursed the infuriating woman, and drop to her knees.

"What's that woman of yours doing?" Naka Iit demanded nudging Poe's shoulder.

As Eris bent her head to the sand, placing her palms flat on the grains, the worry in Poe grew. Shifting his weight Poe got himself onto his knees and into position, pulling the blaster from his belt. "Someone's coming."

On hands and knees Eris crawled over the sand to the small hill they'd just come down over. The closer she got to the top the further she pressed her belly into the sand hoping to go unseen should she be right in having heard something. As much as she liked to be right, and she often fought to prove she was, she didn't wanna be then – but she felt the violent tremors in the sand, she knew she was. Before she'd even reached the top of the hill to see their stalkers Eris knew what she'd find: stormtroopers.


	10. Chapter 10

Eris ran back to the speeder, glancing at Poe to find him on his feet ready to fight, before she jogged around to where Naka Iit sat. "How far's the town?" she asked not bothering to explain.

And Naka, valuing nothing greater than his life, didn't waste time asking for the explanation when it was clear someone was coming. "Just over that hill," he answered pointing to the sandy incline masking the small Blowback town behind it.

"There a ship?" she asked without pause.

"Old, but yes, should Ohn relinquish it," Naka answered watching her turn to the man.

She stared at his open face, his still warm dark eyes, the concern laying in their depths. He was her best option, and she wondered briefly if he'd always been her best option. Without time to think she shook her head looking down at the sand. "Take him and go," she bid Naka. And to Poe, without looking up, she said, "if the ship's ready and I'm not back just leave."

Poe was almost thrown off his feet as the speeder propelled forward and he steadied himself against the side watching Eris turn to face whoever she'd seen coming. "I don't like leaving her," Poe told Naka as he sat back knowing he might need all the time she could get him, whether or not he liked the thought of her fighting on her own.

"That woman, my mad friend, has become far too good at being alone," Naka told him with a nervous laugh. "She can handle herself til you get the ship running."

He turned to the Blarina seeing the slight tremor in his hands, he wasn't used to being hunted – Naka Iit had realized this was The Order, and he was carrying both targets. "You think your friend will agree?" A ship was the last piece of the plan, one they now needed desperately.

One they _all_ needed desperately. "The trouble you both cause had better be worth it," Naka said releasing a relieved breath when the speeder breached the hill and they saw the town at the bottom. The vehicle rocked from how quickly Poe turned at the high-pitched whine that carried loud on the wind, and he just about jumped off at the sound of returning fire. "You want to help your woman, get her a way off Jakku."

Poe was forced to sit back knowing he was right, Eris had known it too – she was the distraction. Whether or not the two of them realized it at the time they acted as team: she stayed behind fighting for time, and he was the negotiator. It wasn't hard to convince Ohn Gos to give up the ship, the second Blarina was a Resistance sympathizer who loathed The First Order – and it only helped more when Naka Iit explained the two humans were marked and their hunters were coming to collect.

Naka Iit hadn't lied, the ship was old – a BT-7 Thunderclap, once a Republic military ship one he'd fancied himself captaining as a child when he'd been with the Republic. The irony wasn't lost on him, nor was the state of it. It'd been shot down many years before and was left to rust, crucial repairs were made such as refitting the ion drive and replacing both the piloting console and the power generator. But the shield had been blown, Poe wasn't sure if the targeting controls would even work and without them the blaster cannon would be all but useless without a skilled gunman.

After several minutes, minutes too long by Poe's book as there was still no sign of Eris, he climbed aboard the ship sat himself in the pilot's seat and held his breath as he flipped switch after switch waiting for the first hum as it fired up for the first time in at least a decade. Sweat beaded on his brow, his body sat tense and anxious, his heart hammered loudly in his ears as he waited. And waited.

There was a soft clicking to his right, a loud clank to his left, and with a jarring roar the ship burst to life. He gave a loud whoop as the lights flickered on and the starmap glitched in and out. All he needed was to be able to set a course, and get off the ground but if the high whirring coming from both his left and right were anything to go by then he was sure both engines had turned on.

Without hesitation, or second thought, he was out of his chair running for the hatch with his boots clanging loudly on the chipped rusted metal of the floor. "What'd I tell you," Naka Iit said upon looking up to find the man waiting, "a mad man will not abandon his fearsome woman. Though why, I could not tell you."

"The Resistance isn't in the habit of leaving allies behind," Poe answered as though that were all she was to him.

Something Naka had figured earlier that morning, she was no innocent flower nor would she willingly offer aid. "She does not seem the kind to be taken easily."

Poe nodded his agreement, she hadn't been easy to catch and only fool's luck had their paths crossing. Only now there he was, a former Republic pilot currently with the Resistance, faced with the chance to leave the bounty hunter that'd done nothing but cause them trouble and add to their losses – he could very well let chance rule her fate, a very slim chance, but the galaxy would in fact be rid of her. And yet Poe was waiting, had never once thought of leaving her behind regardless that she might very well change her mind and decide his use had run out. "She'll go," Poe said without doubt.

"Then you are crazy," Naka Iit explained hearing the rumbling of a speeder behind the hill.

Poe shrugged knowing he probably sounded it. "We of the Resistance prefer the term courageous."

Naka looked up at him dryly and replied in a toneless voice, "I see no difference." He watched Poe nod seeing the boy knew it was a foolish dream trying to reign her in, yet he still held hope. "Nor do I believe she would harm you, steal you perhaps, but not hurt," he admitted earning Poe's questioning stare. "She has grown fond of her mad man."

With a breath of a laugh Poe shook his head refusing to think she liked him that much, though he did know she liked him. And it was something she wasn't happy with. Though his once smirking mouth fell into a straight line at the flash of metal coming over the hill. The pale clothes meant Eris, but another speeder rounded the top also decked in white – however the dark outline of his uniform and helmet marked him a stormtrooper.

Poe ran forward drawing his blaster raising his arm and narrowing his eyes to get a better view of the still far away trooper.

At a blue beam suddenly shooting past her Eris turned to see it hit the stormtrooper square in the chest sending him tumbling into the sand, and without a driver to break the speeder continued on. Eris swerved right letting the vehicle dart past and crash into the side of someone's home, and she came to a quick violent stop a few paces from Poe. "Thought I told you to leave," she growled looking instead to the ship. There were several holes in the outer structure, framed by scorch marks, wires dangled under the belly, but it was running and they needed to go.

Poe extended his hand first to Naka Iit and then to his softer friend Ohn Gos. "Thanks for the help, she's got the money I promised," he said jerking a thumb to where Eris stood with a stormtrooper's rifle slung around her shoulders, hearing that promise for the first time.

"Yeah whatever," she said pulling a few chips from her pocket and shoving them into Ohn's hands. "There's more coming, we gotta go," she said shooing him back up the ramp all but shoving him inside. But her gaze was pulled back to the two short aliens who'd made themselves accessories, by choice, possibly putting targets on their own backs – kindness wasn't something she was used to. "Thank you," she said softly, her brows drawn together, her lips pulling tight in a frown. "Now run."  
With no time, nor the care, to wait for a response Eris climbed aboard the ship, recognizing a Republic emblem painted on the outside. She moved hastily passing the med bay, briefing room, and abandoned armory. What she wanted was the main deck, and she sorely found that the only thing functioning was the main console with the navigation computer. Not even the secondary laser canons were up, which meant the primary wouldn't be either – she'd be shooting blind. Not only that but Poe would be acting as both pilot and copilot, a rather difficult feat when half the controls were out of reach. Not that they had much of a choice.

"TIE fighter's on the way, think we stand a chance?" she asked leaning against the chair he sat to see what he was working with, which wasn't much. He'd be flying just as blind as she'd be shooting.

Poe threw himself to the right, toggled a switch he hoped was the right one, and sat back feeling the warmth of Eris' hand around the back of the chair through his shirt. "Not in the slightest," he answered not sounding the least bit deterred.

It'd taken her a moment to hear more than his enthusiastic tone, and then she looked at his face – he looked like a kid getting to fly with his parents for the first time. Not a pilot in an all but useless ship. Glancing around the captain's chair she spotted a headset clipped to the wall and she grabbed it pulling it over his head and fixing the mic to sit closer to his mouth.

Poe heard the thud of her feet on the metal knowing where she was going. "Gun's to the ri-"

"Right," Eris yelled back already down the stairs and rounding the corner.

"You been on one a these before?" he yelled and threw himself over to the copilot's panel before sitting back in his chair, not knowing if she'd heard. And then a soft rustling sounded in his earpiece, almost like a cloth rubbing against his ear.

"Yeah, can you hear me?"

He smiled at the sound of her crackling voice over the com. "I'm sure you figured out targeting's down, hold on I'm bringing her up."

Eris was unprepared for the sudden lurch of the ship and was left grabbing the handles of the rifle's stand to keep from being flung out of her seat. "Are the shield's down too?" she asked feeling the ship begin to sway.

"Yes ma'am," he ground out as he tried to level them. "Right engine's stuttering. How close d'you say the fighter was?"

"I'm more worried about the stormtroopers, they weren't that far behind," she said feeling the ship almost wobble back and forth as he fought to keep them from falling to the right with the faulty engine.

"How far?" he asked knowing if he took off now the engine might blow completely, and they wouldn't be goin anywhere then. At the sound of blasters he flinched, remembering the hatch was still open – as the means to close it was on the copilot's side.

Eris leaned forward trying to see out of the gunner's window. "If you turn us right I can blast 'em."

"Can do," came his fuzzy reply in her ear.

She waited until the white-clad stormtroopers were directly in front of the rifle canon, looked instinctively at her com-system only to be reminded by its black screen she had no target lock. So she fired, letting loose a wall of lightbeams cutting through both trooper and clay structure. "Got 'em, work on gettin us the hell outta here I can see the TIE fighter coming and she's comin fast."

He did as told, knowing just how fast those fighters moved, hearing her curse as the ship dropped left. "Give me a minute," he said hearing her hiss they didn't have a minute, "almost got her, there we go," he said feeling the right engine stall for half a second before whirring at full speed.

Eris grabbed the side of her chair and pulled herself back into it, adding an extra foul word for effect. Once settled she noticed first the bare sand beneath them, not a speck of anything other than brown in sight, and then the TIE fighter quickly gaining on them. "Get me in position I can shoot 'em," she said refixing her own mic that'd fallen off when she'd tumbled.

"At this point, Eris," he said charting their course for D'Qar, "I'd take you anywhere."

Locking her seat in a forward position, as her best bet at shooting them was head on, she replied, "watch out captain or I might mistakenly think you're fallin for me."

He grinned at the teasing heard even over the com, getting the hyperdrive ready to launch, which thankfully most of those controls were on his side of the console. "You take these bastards out I might consider it," he said three parts joking and one part serious. "I'm gonna try to jump before they catch up, let me know if they're t-"

Poe was thrown forward as their ship took a direct hit, hearing something clattering angrily in the back, possibly to his right. "You alright?" He steered them left seeing the sleek black fighter dart ahead and circle back – what he wouldn't have given to try his hand with one those again. "Eris?" he asked when no answer came. Reaching a hand to his ear he realized the sound wasn't coming from something behind him, it was coming from Eris' end. "I need you talk to me sweetheart," he said trying for anything that'd get answer out of her, even if it was just her putting him in his place. "I can't be flyin on my own here."

"Give me a minute," came her slow muted reply.

Poe tried steering out of the way but the TIE fighter was faster, and their gun had a target lock. He was thrown to the side as they took another hit, and before they spun out of control he'd already steadied them knowing the fighter had probably circled back to hit them again. "We don't got a minute, Eris. Get off your ass and start shooting."

Only Eris wasn't on her ass, she was pulling herself off the floor and onto her knees reaching blindly for the chair. The first hit had her head slamming into the rifle and she'd fallen limp to the floor, the second had thrown her shoulder into the wall. "Then get me one," she seethed.

At her next harsh words he almost winced, not appreciating her attitude. Least of all when she was the only chance they had of getting off the planet. He had little else to do but fly up, no shields and no weapon's online, they were a sitting target. "Dammit," he growled jolting at yet another hit, and if he was right they were aiming at the gun. "Tell me you're alright."

Eris picked herself up off the floor, again, and ran back to the gun. "Yeah I ran to the hall that time."

"You're supposed to be shooting," he yelled, trying and failing yet again to steer them out of the way of the TIE fighter.

"I COULDN'T SEE, DAMMIT," she cried, her infuriated voice cracked in and out of his ear piece from the volume she'd thrown it at him.

There wasn't much he could say to that, considering she was taking the brunt of it all. That she hadn't been knocked out was all he could ask for. "Alright, they're back around your end," he told her.

But before he'd finished she was already saying, "yeah my head cleared, stop talking," she said bitingly, hearing his heavy sigh on the other end. "Thirty marks left," she ordered, blinking around her still slightly blurry vision. "Twelve marks up," she next said waiting as he complied. Straining her eyes she leaned forward, watching the stormtrooper's canon's move as they locked onto her, "three marks right."

Though Poe was quick to do as told, considering she was his eyes, he was also quick to say, "Eris he's gonna start shooting, another hit's gonna blow through the wall." It'd taken him several moments of hearing the same low whine before he understood it was air from a cracked hull, another hit it'd blow and take her with it. "Eris," he warned counting the seconds now.

She barely heard his voice her focus was so severe, her body absolutely still as her eyes stayed locked on the ship that now had them in firing position. "Two marks up," she said watching the fighter move quickly along her field of view, having anticipating his movements knowing he was trying to take out the gun. He moved from right to left, her view was a rectangle with a circle in the middle where the barrel of the canon aimed through the window. When The Order's ship passed into that narrow circle, in front of her canon, she fired a stream of shots. The first few were premature, the next hit the TIE fighter's wing, the one after that hit the ship dead center.

At the sound of an explosion, thankfully not in his ear, Poe gave an exhilarated holler as he set about getting the delayed hyperdrive going so they could jump to the Ileenium system. It left him pushing just about every button, toggling every switch, turning it off and on accelerating decelerating, anything to get the rusted drive working.

"That good enough for ya, captain?" she asked sitting back breathless and tired.

Poe shook his head, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "It'll do," he answered glad he was right about her being a good shot. "Come back up, I could use a copilot."

Eris pulled the headpiece from around her head and threw it on the floor, reaching a hand to her temple to feel her hair was damp from where the blaster's stand had cut through her skin. Her fingers were left crimson, and without much else to do she wiped them on her already bloody scarf. Slowly she walked through the ship back to the bridge, finding Poe sitting exactly where she'd left him. "D'the best pilot in the Resistance really ask for my help?" she asked coyly sliding into the copilot's seat beside him.

He chuckled reaching an arm to shove her lightly. "More so your company, if I'm bein honest." He turned to find her smiling, a smaller thing without the flash of her teeth or the wrinkling of the corners of her eyes. But it was a smile all the same, til he noticed the blood. "You alright?" he found himself asking yet again.

She leaned away from the hand he brought up to touch the side of her head and brushed his concern aside. "Don't touch me, I'm fine."

"But you're bleeding," he cooed, "you poor thing.

"Knock it off," she told him slapping at his hand, hearing him still chuckling. "And call me sweetheart again,"

"Yeah yeah, you'll break my jaw," he said hitting her leg lightly as a show he was glad she was alright, since she wasn't letting him show it any other way.

With a wry stare she turned to him finding him smirking with pride over his half-witted retort. "I was gonna say rip your tongue out," she replied only half joking, because the rest of her was stuck feeling like she was forgetting something. She'd been thinking it the moment he'd gotten the ship in the air, she was missing something. But another smack landed on her leg, a little harder than his last one, and her mind followed her eyes and looked at his exuberant face. "I was right about you," she said quietly, bringing a hand to her aching temple, "you are a damn good pilot."

He grinned at the compliment knowing she didn't often give them. "Guess I was right about you too."

"What that I'm a good shot?" she asked letting her eyes fall to his tan shirt. It wasn't as orange as the sand but her mind still thought of it, of the glimpse she'd gotten of the ground before she looked to the sky after the TIE fighter.

"No," Poe said pointing to the switch he needed her to flip to get them accelerating, "that you've been into me from the moment I started shootin at ya," he said glancing at her face to see he'd made her smile again, but it slowly melted from her face. "What is with you and smiling," he said hitting her arm when she didn't move, "come on, Eris, do your job."

Her gaze fell to his mouth to see his white teeth, white teeth framed by brown skin – she hadn't seen even a speck of white in the sand, which meant the guy Poe shot had gotten up. Turning blindly to face the console she thought back to the stormtroopers she'd taken out with the blaster cannon, the two that'd been following further behind than the others.

Impatiently Poe reached for the switch since she wasn't moving and sat back turning to look at her: her eyes stared sightlessly in front of her, widened as she sat lost in thought. "Hey," he said gently turning her chin so she'd face him, and when her pale eyes found his he was alarmed to find them filled with panic, "what're you thinking?"

She stared at him wondering how she could've missed it, she'd seen for herself there hadn't been a stormtrooper lying in the sand. "I only shot two of them," she said breathlessly arriving at what she'd overlooked – there should've been three.

Poe's jaw slackened startled by the implication of those words, and he watched her throw herself out of the copilot's chair reaching for the blaster at her belt. Out of instinct when she fell back against him he reached to catch her, instead of immediately drawing his own blaster to shoot the guy that'd hit her. He'd somehow gotten a hold of her arm, his other hand still fighting to keep the old ship steady as the hyperdrive propelled them into light-speed, and he felt her hand slip from his grasp. "Eris," he called half turning to look after her, finally reaching for his blaster.

Only he couldn't tell apart the grey of her suit from the white of the stormtrooper's armor, her shoulder was wedged into his middle as she pushed him backwards out of the main deck. Poe watched her throw an arm out reaching for a button on the wall, saw too late her plan, and watched the pressurized doors snap shut behind her. "Eris," he called again, though this time infuriated. She'd locked them out of the pilot's bay on the chance the stormtrooper got the upper hand and killed her - she was still protecting him.

His back glued to the chair as they reach light-speed, and he convinced himself Eris could handle herself. She just needed to hold on for a few minutes while he kept them steady. But then the ship lurched nearly throwing him from the chair as the right engine stalled.


	11. Chapter 11

Poe would make it back to the Resistance: the pressurized doors no matter how many blasts it withstood would remain closed until Poe himself opened them from within the bridge. That or a more powerful weapon was fired, but thankfully the stormtrooper Eris was currently being strangled by only had a blaster rifle, and she'd already kicked that away. So Poe was gonna make it back to the Resistance, whether or not she did.

The stormtrooper, who's name had been reduced to FN-2043, had almost gotten the location of the Resistance base. He'd kept to the shadows knowing his best bet was to let his men die and wait for the pilot to chart their course. His next form of action was to kill Eris, known to them only as 501, the more dangerous of the two and now a known traitor of the First Order. But he'd underestimated her, as he was seeing even Kylo Ren did, she was good – he hadn't realized what she was doing until the doors snapped shut. And not giving him time to react she swiftly raised her leg and brought a swift hard kick down on his arm causing his rifle to clatter dully on the floor as it slid to the back. He'd reacted then, he threw her into a wall and after she'd fallen limp to the floor he'd dropped to his knees wrapping gloved hands around her soft neck.

She was so dazed, blood pooling in her hair from where her head struck metal for a second time, Eris was barely conscious enough to fight back. The hands that clawed at the suit around his arms, her fingers sliding uselessly against the smooth white plates unable to find leverage, slowly loosened their grip as her vision darkened.

And then the ship pitched right throwing the stormtrooper off her causing him to skid across the floor reaching fruitlessly for anything to hold on to. Eris too was left sliding on the smooth metal, only with the stormtrooper now off of her, her head cleared with each cold sweet breath inhaled. As sense, and self-preservation, returned she climbed to her feet reaching for the knife in her belt running for the trooper who'd just come to a stop against the wall his gun had fallen beside.

"Hold on!" Poe yelled over the ship's com, not knowing if it actually worked and she'd heard him. He was stuck keeping them level, knowing they'd be torn apart if he let the ship fall right. Rising to his feet he held his knee in place of his hands keeping the tiller in position so they'd fly level. He then reached for the right engine's thruster, hearing a deep groan as the ship slightly tilted. If he didn't get the engine back up they'd fall out of light-speed spinning, and at that speed there'd be nothing to keep the ship from being torn apart.

There was a shudder that quaked through the whole ship, nearly making him lose his balance as he stood with a knee keeping them steady and a hand pumping the thruster, as the engine came back only to putter out again. Something must've been caught in it, and after so many years of rotting in the blistering sun who knew what it is. With nothing else to do but hope and continuous effort Poe kept on trying to get the engine going, feeling a jolt every so often as the propellers spun only to catch something and stall. Until finally the propeller snapped whatever had caught on it throwing the whole ship forward as it whirred back to life. Poe picked himself up off the consul giving a breathless laugh, taking a moment to watch them come out of hyperspace as they hovered on the outskirts of D'Qar. He'd done it.

With his next breath Poe's thoughts turned to Eris and though the ship hummed loudly with life he still strained to hear behind the thick metal doors. Pulling the blaster from his belt he moved to the doors, standing for a moment with an ear pressed to the cold door hearing nothing, before he pressed the button on the wall. A seam was cut through the middle pulling them apart with a quick _swoosh._

Poe stood with a finger on the trigger, Eris' knife lying at his feet, and looked around the room: the back wall with the short set of stairs going to the lower level, the holocommunicator to his right, the dead computer system to his left. His hand tightened around the gun at the sight of the stormtrooper. He lay spread on his back, Poe closest to his feet, and Poe stepped forward blaster steady aiming at the possibly unconscious man. There was a blackened scorch mark marring the otherwise white breast plate, the one Poe had shot, the one Eris hadn't seen lying in the sand. Poe's eyes then moved to his helmet, seeing he was in fact dead. Eris' weapon of choice – a retractable staff with a blunt end she was known to land vicious blows with, and the other ended in a sharp thin point – had been stuck up through his chin where it exited through the top of the trooper's helmet.

Quickly looking around him Poe found her lying on her side with her back to him and he rushed to her and dropped to his knees beside her. "One of these times you're gonna let me save you," he said turning her on her back, seeing the blood on her chin from where her lip had been split. Swiping the pad of his thumb on his tongue he set about the cleaning it off.

She let him go on a few moments longer, still feeling like the ship was tilted, before she'd had enough and pushed his hand aside. "You're better with me."

He watched her pull herself up the wall, catching the unsteady way her legs held her up. "What than you are with me?" he asked already knowing the answer, when it came down to it she was the better fighter. Taking a step forward her legs shook and she reached a hand to his shoulder to steady herself, and Poe having enough of her stubbornness moved his shoulder to her waist and stood throwing her once again over his back. "True as that may be," he said turning, swinging her with him, for the piloting console, "I owe you a few saves."

Eris let herself hang limp over him, her pulse throbbing in her temples, without the energy to fight him. "I don't need saving," she mumbled. "What I need is for you to put me down."

It lacked vehemence. "I can tell you really mean that," he said knowing she was probably exhausted if not as sore and aching as he was. But still he gently pulled her from his shoulder, cradling her for a brief second, and set her in the copilot's chair. "Don't mean to offend," he started, a terrible start if ever there were one, "but I'm not tellin you where our base is."

Tilting her head to give him a look she dryly replied, "pretty and smart."

He smiled lightly at her teasing, but mostly he was grateful she'd taken it easily. "Can't be just a pretty face now can I," he joked in return seeing out of the corner of her eye the smirk that curled on her mouth as she turned away.

The problem was she didn't wanna smile at him. She didn't wanna like him, hell she didn't wanna even know his name. Pilot, that was an easier name to deal with, a less personal one. Pilot didn't make her think of a stupidly brave man with kind brown eyes and a warm easy smile. If he'd only been Pilot, she thought she might've been able to kill him.

Poe himself was thinking something along the same lines as he set about landing, seeing men – his men – come running with blasters at the ready since the ship was unable to make contact. He'd thought it earlier, he preferred Renegade-1, it was more befitting of the reputation that followed. As a kid he'd learned the hard way that it was unwise to name an injured animal needing to be nursed back to health, a name turned something into someone and he'd cried when he'd set it free. After that first day he'd known this wouldn't be easy, Renegade-1 had become Eris, more than that he liked her.

It was a rocky landing, but given the less than satisfactory flying it was more than Poe could ask for considering they could've crashed. "Hey," he said grabbing her arm before she could leave the bridge, seeing first her surprise and then her silent aversion to his touch. "I know what you said about trusting, and I took that to heart I really did," he brought a hand to his chest in emphasis seeing her eyes narrow as she realized he wanted something, "but I need you to trust me."

She stared at him, though it was more similar to glaring, as she contemplated his request knowing what he planned. It was several moments, enough that the men below them had opened the hatch and were now climbing on board prepared to ambush the potential enemy. "Don't make me regret this," she said quietly seeing the sheer relief in his exhale as he turned to his men.

He greeted them easily, confidently, and they in turn greeted him with large smiles claps on the back and remarks on his being alive. This was something she'd never had, comradeship, nor had she wished to and she didn't wish to then. But she stayed quiet letting him enjoy his return home until one of them caught sight of her, stared hard at the familiar face, and raised his blaster once more.

"She's alright," Poe was quick to say stepping back and placing himself in front of her, taking on the role of advocate and protector. "Her friend's in a lot of trouble, she's agreed to come quietly."

"Lor San Tekka's dead cause of her."

Poe looked over his shoulder at Eris' cold face, her steeled exterior would do her no favors when an Order operative is what they thought of her. "I won't argue that," he said turning back to the guards, "but I wouldn't be here without her. Now you can lower your weapons, she's unarmed." As the men reluctantly lowered their blasters, though they kept their guns in hand not trusting her, Poe turned to her again. "Right?" he asked quietly.

Without breaking eye contact she pulled a dagger out of her boot and let it clatter loudly on the floor, removed the case of darts that had both sleeping agents and poisons, unclipped the blaster she'd picked up from the floor letting it too fall to the floor, and pulled the thin metal cuff off her wrist.

"What's that one do, blow people up?" a guard sneered in question.

Blandly she turned to him and answered, "there's a wire coiled inside, it's good for strangling when I'm forced to fight up close."

Poe turned fully to her wondering if it'd yet to hit her how precarious her situation was; she was a known enemy of the Resistance. "What the hell are you doing?" he whispered through grit teeth.

She shrugged looking far more innocent than she deserved. "I'm cooperating," she answered simply. "He asked me a question I answered it honestly." She almost smiled at the widening of his eyes, at his mouthing 'knock it off' – he made it too easy. But it wasn't like they'd forgive her as easily as he had, she wouldn't get nearly as many chances to save them to show that she 'wasn't such a bad person'. He was too optimistic.

At a hand on his shoulder Poe turned to see a guard at his side, his hand raised to his earpiece before he brought his mouth closer to Poe's ear to whisper something he didn't want her hearing. Eris quietly observed Poe's face grow first confused and then excited, a light sparking in his dark eyes. And then Poe looked at her, a loose end needing to be tied up, and his face grew serious as he rushed forward and pulled her back a ways.

"You wanna rot in one of our cells the rest of your life?"

He stood so close she could almost feel the tip of his nose against her cheek, he didn't want them to hear – maybe their plan, maybe how familiar they were. Eris didn't know what his intentions were, and she really didn't like not knowing things. "I don't know, would you come visit?" she asked gauging his reaction.

"Eris," he hissed firmly, yet part of him was amused because they both knew if that happened he would visit.

"No."

He took a breath wishing she didn't feel the need to be so strong all the time. "You still willing to trust me?"

"You givin me another option?" she asked.

He knew that was a yes, a dragging-her-feet kind of agreement but a yes all the same. But he knew her, not much but well enough, she'd have considered every alternative by then. "Say you killed your way out of this ship, how far d'you think you'd get?"

That was the most challenging alternative, there were so many other factors she couldn't plan for them all. "Oh I would kill all of you," she assured him, her mouth brushing against his chin, "but I don't think I'd get much farther."

That, was the assurance he needed – she wasn't fighting, which left her with no other plan but him. "So you're pretty and smart," he said quietly using her own words, watching her eyes narrow as she looked at his surprisingly guilty face.

She felt like he wanted something again, there was a look in his eye like he was trying to pull her in so she'd give him whatever he asked for. And then it hit her, why he was trying to make this go well so there was a possibility she might be released. "It's her isn't it?" Her chest seized squeezing the air from her lungs at realizing they'd found Rey, they had a location.

For a moment her face, her eyes, were open for him; she was relieved, hopeful, worried, resigned to go after this girl. And with a blink he once more stared at her neutral face, with her guarded pale eyes, her innumerous freckles, her dark knitted brows. "I don't know but it's likely," he said feeling her recoiling, having not realized how comfortably she'd been standing against him until she pulled away. "Look," he said placing a hand on either arm holding her still, forcing her to stay with him, "I haven't had a chance to explain you, they won't let you leave. So for the love of all things, Eris, trust me."

She considered it, gave it good proper consideration – and really the only other option was to kill everyone on the base and she might've been good but she wasn't that good. And try as she might she just didn't couldn't make herself wanna kill him. But trust, she found, was her hands cuffed behind her back with a guard dragging her after him all the while jabbing the barrel of his blaster rifle into her side. Poe had left her as soon as she agreed, leaving her nothing but a request to the guards treat her well. Eris liked solitude, not having to depend on someone or having someone depend on her, no responsibility to anyone but herself, no way of getting hurt. But watching Poe run into the large hangar, without looking back, she found herself feeling so alone.

Eris felt it even more so when the door closed to her cell, a bright energy field enclosing her in the small gray room. "Get comfortable," the guard goaded. His efforts were wasted as Eris silently took the three short steps to the back wall and sat on the cold floor.

She sat like that for a while, her knees curled to her chest, her head resting against the wall. And then she laid her head on her knees, wrapped her arms around her legs. After some time she laid flat on her back beside the wall, an arm under her head. Then she swung around to plant her feet on the wall with her knees bent, her heels tapped a beat or just kicked frustrated. And then she stretched her legs out crossing them at the ankles, her hands folded over her middle, her eyes closed. With no clear show of time she didn't know if she'd been there an hour, two, all night.

There was a constant hum from the door, like a hive inside her mind buzzing against her brain. Her eyes opened when the sound cut out, and craning her neck she looked to see who'd opened her cell and was now stepping inside. A sound that could only be described as a soft bellow had her sitting up turning fully to the man who stopped only a foot's distance from her. "Han?"

"Hey kid," he said holding out a hand to help her up, one he was surprised she took when normally she helped herself. "How's life been treatin ya?"

Her face was a mix of one part confusion, two parts familiarity, and another part irritation because he wasn't her favorite person. "I'm a prisoner, how do you think."

Giving a short unamused laugh he raised an accusatory finger in her direction and said, "lip like that I'm surprised you got that pilot on your side." He watched something crack in her stony face, in a way he was regretfully familiar with. "I see the feelings are mutual," he jested stepping back to let her out of the very small room she'd been locked in. He opened his mouth to continue but Chewy beat him to it, saying a great many things to the much shorter woman.

"Yeah it's good see you too," she said giving a friendly-ish slap to the wookie's arm before turning to Han. "What all d'Poe say, am I being let go?"

He almost grinned at her using the boy's first name, seeing she did in fact like him as much as he seemed to like her. "For the time being at least, we're headin out soon; taking the Star-killer base. You're with us," he motioned to himself and Chewy, "obviously."

She nodded having figured the moment she saw him he'd either broken her out or she was stuck with him. "Alright," she said, her voice curled at the end making it clear she wanted more.

Han did smile then, glad to see she was somewhat in the process of moving on. "Wanna know what he said about you?" he asked forcing her to either admit it or be stubborn.

Eris of course chose stubborn. "No, now why are we still here you said we were leaving?" she asked shifting her weight uncomfortably.

Han motioned to the hall they now stood in and began leading her down it, though really she walked beside him stride for stride with Chewy at their backs, looking for all the world like she knew where she was going. "He said we knew your name and the things you'd done, but he knew you and you were capable of being kind. You know," Han said raising a shoulder offhandedly, "in case you were interested."

"I wasn't," she said but not even she bought it. She walked quietly beside him, passing a few people who either stopped completely in their tracks at the sight of her or had to take another look to see it was in fact her. For years the Resistance hadn't even known she was a she, it amazed her how much trouble saving one blasted droid had been.

Entering the crowded briefing room she spotted Poe almost immediately, decked in a bright orange jumper, standing front and center by a map charting the course he and his fighter pilots would take. Her eyes then fell to the other side of the console catching sight of a small round white and orange droid, Poe's droid, the droid Rey would've been with. Next to it were a pair of black clad legs and she followed them to find an almost familiar looking brown jacket and further up a dark skinned young man – the one she'd seen before she found Poe. He must've been the stormtrooper.

Poe caught sight of yellow hair and looked past the map to see Eris' perpetually unhappy face as she stalked toward Finn. "Oh no," he said realizing she'd probably figured it out.

Shoving the man he was talking to Eris stopped in front of the boy and stared hard at his taken aback face as he tried to figure out if he knew her. "Where is she?" she demanded.

He stared at her several seconds trying to place her because she seemed to know him, and then he remembered what Rey had said about someone she wasn't sure would come looking for her. "You're the cute boyfriend?" he asked having thought 'Eris' would've been a man. And then realizing what he'd said he quickly backtracked. "I mean Rey mentioned you, said some good things, it's nice to meet you." At her hard eyes growing harder he swallowed uncomfortably and held out his hand. "I'm Finn."

For a few moments she did nothing but stare at him, waiting for him to say something else. "That's not what I asked," she said harsh and unforgiving.

Finn dropped his hand to his side very tempted to say, yes sir. "Well the thing is," he started before shaking his head thinking that wasn't the best way to go about it, "you see," but even that didn't sound right and yet with nothing else to say he decided to continue as her already thin patience wore even more, "we were ambushed and outnumbered, and she'd run off so I didn't even know where she was. And then we got captured ourselves and were about to be execut-"

"Finn," her surprisingly light voice cut him off silencing him, "that's what you said your name was, right?" She waited for his quick nod before stepping closer and saying, "spit it out or I'll make you."

Pressing his lips together he gave another nod, a jerk of his head really. "Kylo Ren took her," he finally said, still feeling that loss weighing in him. "That's why we're going to the base," he was quick to say next as her face darkened to the point of making him nervous, "to get her back. And to destroy it, but between you and me," he lowered his voice, "I'm really there to get her back."

Her body was nearly vibrating as she stared at him with blazing eyes, her teeth grinding so hard they clicked. Until she hit him square in the chest almost knocking him off his feet and yelled, "You lost her!"

"Whoa," Poe said catching her around the waist before she could hit the poor kid again, "easy now, he's just the messenger." He looked around her head to see a timid Finn, and with an almost proud grin Poe said, "she packs a hell of a punch, doesn't she."

Finn rubbed the place her hand had struck having thought she might've broken something if not completely steal the air from his lungs. "Friend of yours?" he asked wondering how the two knew each other.

Poe shrugged. "Met her yesterday but," he looked at Eris who now stood aware of his arm around her and raised a hand to his wrist to pull him off her, "I'd say we're friends."

Throwing his arm away from her she stepped back. "Whatever, what's the plan." At a pair of hands resting on her shoulders she stepped forward out of their grasp and turned so that she was almost behind Poe, who she actually trusted to touch her. "One more person touches me," she grumbled looking up at Han.

"Cool it sister," he told her watching her eyes roll at his choice of words. "Keep mouthin off someone's gonna start noticing. And in case you haven't realized you're not exactly loved here," he reminded her already seeing she'd caught several people's interests.

Eris' eyes narrowed as she observed his weathered face. "You are breaking me out," she said thinking this was the worst plan considering he hadn't even tried to keep her out of sight. Half the base probably knew she was out, granted it was with the general's husband, but there was no hint of stealth.

"You finally figure that out?" Han said giving a sarcastic nod. He turned to Chewy seeing him already looking down at him, having realized the next step. "Get her to the ship, see if you can do it quietly."

Eris shouldered her way around Poe and pushed past Han muttering, "why start now," before walking to a table in the back where a round bearded pilot stood. "Give me that," she said snatching her staff out of his hands, slamming the opened end on the table to retract it. Grabbing the rest of her gear she then turned to find Chewbacca waiting to escort her to the Millennium Falcon, a ship the two had never stopped talking about.

Finn turned from her retreating form to Han Solo, seeing out his peripheral the orange of Poe's suit as he walked back to the map and his pilots. "Why are we bringing her, how do you know she won't get Rey and leave us?" he asked not thinking he'd ever trust her.

"Cause I know her," Han answered still looking after her and Chewy, who had grown rather fond of the stubborn woman years before – mostly because she was ruthless, but also because Poe was right in that she was capable of being kind. "Let's just say I owe her one," he said remembering a time she hadn't always been like this. But that time had passed, buried in an unmarked grave with the last person she'd let herself truly care for.


	12. Chapter 12

Eris' acquaintance with Han and Chewbacca spanned ten years, how often she'd spent time with them spanned less. She went months, years even, without seeing them, and the time they had spent together lasted only a short time. Often she was their hired gun, having more connections, the reputation that followed her spanned farther, and often she took what she needed and left them stranded somewhere safe. But of all the times she'd been with them, had flown with them, had fought with them, one thing remained constant: their incessant bemoaning of their lost ship, the Millennium Falcon.

"Ship that made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs, has seen better days," Eris responded to the view she was greeted with. It was dirty, run down, abused, and barely holding together after years of neglect. This wasn't the infamous ship she'd been told about. This hunk of metal looked more like something Rey would scavenge for old parts.

Something Chewie wholeheartedly disagreed with and was quick to correct her in a series of harsh growls.

Eris raised her hands in surrender. "I'm sure it was the best ship in its time," she relented, but the sarcasm was heard thick in her dry voice. Chewie gave a growl of a sigh as he motioned for her to sit. "Well I can at least start it up while we're waiting," she said ready to get going. The longer Rey was with Kylo Ren the less chance they had of getting her back, already Rey could've escaped immediate capture but she was still stuck on the base and was the most important prison The Order'd ever had.

But Chewbacca bellowed a response shaking his head and pointing again to a chair.

"What d'you mean I can't be trusted?" she demanded, causing Chewie to throw his head back and laugh at the absurdity of trusting her. "I always ditch you somewhere safe," she said in her defense. At the Wookie's next words she crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah it's safe here, point for you. Won't I still need a pilot to get to the base?"

Chewie had always liked her attitude, had found her amusing, but it was usually aimed at Han rather than him. His cries echoed in the empty ship, his mouth open wide, his array of teeth exposed as he reminded her she usually flew alone.

It was true, and she supposed it was strange to find that she'd willingly come to the Resistance's base instead of knocking out Poe and flying them somewhere else. "That ship was a hunk of junk, I wouldn't've gotten it anywhere. I did need him."

Roughly translated his next remark fell more in line with, you keep telling yourself that. He pointed again to the chair before walking back off the ship and helping to prepare them for what could be their last day. Eris didn't take the chair. She'd never been good at sitting back and letting others make decisions, if she had a hand in everything it meant she knew everything there were minimal surprises. She didn't even know what weaponry they'd have available to them, hell she didn't even know the plan. All she knew was this rag tag group of four was gonna infiltrate the Starkiller Base and find Rey, the others she assumed were going to fly around trying to break through the Order's defenses and maybe serve as a distraction. She was finding herself, yet again, being forced into a position where she didn't know what to expect.

So she paced. Over and over her boots clanged harshly on the floor, her hands folded behind her back, her eyes downcast. She was weighing her options: find Rey, get Han Chewie and Finn back on board ditch them somewhere and get away. That was the only way she stayed out of a prison cell. Rey wouldn't go for it she was too good to leave anyone behind, would suggest trying to talk to General Organa about pardoning her. Diplomacy and pragmatism weren't always the same, she'd have to leave Rey – or knock her out. Which brought Eris to her second option: knock the boys out keeping them on the ship, find Rey, knock her out, she'd fly them somewhere far far away from the Resistance and the Order where they could live as outlaws. Han and Chewie would probably be up for it, Rey might be as well depending on whether they told her about the Resistance's involvement, and Finn being a runaway stormtrooper would jump at the chance. And even if when they all woke they wanted to go back they could drop Eris somewhere safe, and who knew maybe watching her walk away would prompt Rey to go with her.

"You plannin how to leave us?"

Her shoulders slumped as she turned to Poe, facing the problem she couldn't solve. He was the leader of a squadron, if she took Rey and left she'd be leaving him behind. The thought of that weighed on her more than it should've. "You need me to be there?" she asked heavily.

Poe looked at her troubled face knowing she was weighing options, most of which he knew involved abandoning him and his men – the fact that she was even considering it should've been a deterrent, but he could see she was formulating a plan she wasn't happy with which meant she wouldn't leave. "Yeah," he answered giving her the simple honest truth.

Her eyes fell from his searching gaze and she instead looked at the black signa on his white vest. "Then I'll be there," she told him unhappily, the proof of which was visible in her frowning mouth.

He nodded glad to hear, and even happier to hear he was the reason. "I told her as much," he said admitting his confidence in her loyalty – and it was a relief to hear that he'd been right about her. But her eyes narrowed hearing a request. "The general wants to speak to you, only for a moment then we'll move out."

"Sounds like a waste of time," Eris said but stepped forward and walked down the hatch with Poe at her back whispering a hushed plea for her to behave. "Yeah yeah," she said more so to mess with him. She found the general standing with a knowing look in her sad eyes beside her guilty husband. "Han's said a lot about you," Eris said coming to a stop in front of them, finding herself very uncomfortable beneath the weight of her gaze. "You're smaller than I thought you'd be."

A smile twitched on Leia's mouth as she looked the girl over. And she truly was a girl, not even thirty and already she had a reputation spanning the galaxy, already she'd known such loss. Leia could feel the ache gnawing inside her, eating away at her soul til their was nothing left but bone; and Leia could feel it was what Eris wanted, to be empty, to be rid of his memory. "You have more good in you than I thought you would," Leia responded seeing the surprise in Eris' face at that declaration. "It's nice to formally meet you," she extended her weathered hand and shook Eris' firm one, "Eris Neme."

Han stood with his hands in his pockets watching her face shatter, the walls behind her eyes crumbled, she looked as she had five years ago – as if no part of her had been able to heal.

"Cal Neme was a great man," Leia said, her heart going out to the girl. "He would've done his people proud. I am very sorry for your loss." The words he'd once said about her, his human, were why Leia would pardon her. It was obvious to her that Eris wasn't a woman who didn't pick sides, she was a woman who was so lost she didn't know what end was up – she didn't know what side to choose.

Eris scuffed her shoes on the ground looking everywhere but at Leia. "If that's what you wanted to talk about I'd rather go."

Leia nodded, Poe having warned how hard she could be. "I'd like to know what this girl means to you," she said cutting to the point of why she'd asked to speak to her, having known Han would break her out when he was the one who knew her.

"Rey?" Eris asked looking up at Leia's kind and aged face. The answer was there was no answer, and it almost pained her to say, "I don't really know her." It was a surprise to even her, all she'd done to get this kid back. "She's good, a lot better than I am." Eris brushed her tangled hair out of her face not knowing if there was any other reason, but knowing she was done talking. "That's all I have to say," she said abruptly turning on her heel and marching back to the starship.

She didn't know what Leia's intentions had been, she knew the old woman wanted something from her just not what. It didn't help that Cal had known Leia, had been saved by the Resistance and held the former princess on a pedestal. Eris didn't know if she helped her case or made it worse, but it didn't matter now because she planned to stick around long enough to make sure Poe stayed alive. Which meant sticking around long enough there was no other option but to return to the Resistance.

Needless to say she was a very disgruntled passenger and she sat herself in the seat behind Han's with her harness buckled glaring at the back of his head. "Is she looking at me?" Han asked feeling daggers at the back of his neck. Chewie turned to see Eris' blue eyes fixated on Han's skull. He turned back to Han and shook his head innocently.

Finn looked over at her, remembering how hard her hand had slammed into his chest. "How long have you known Rey?" he asked wondering how close the two were.

Without taking her eyes from Han Eris blandly answered, "few days longer than you."

"Really?" Finn asked sounding so surprised she turned to him with knitted brows. "From what she said I thought you knew her longer," he said by way of explanation. Though in truth Rey hadn't said much, only that Eris might come looking for her, and when Finn asked who Eris was Rey answered with, the only person I have. Finn had assumed Eris was male, cute, someone Rey was attached to given the hope she had that Eris would come for her. This mean pale woman wasn't what Finn expected.

Raising a brow Eris tilted her head as she appraised the boy, seeing the intention in his nervous stare – he liked Rey. "It was love at first sight," she answered dryly, watching his eyes widen. "She chained me to a wall, that's how I knew it was love." She turned back to Han's head finding she wasn't half as irritated as before, instead she was anxious to get Rey and get the hell off the base before Kylo Ren realized she was there.

"Are you joking?" Finn asked quietly, not knowing enough about Eris to tell if she was being serious.

With a hard roll of her eyes Eris turned back to him. "Of course I'm joking," she said seeing him give a quick laugh that might've been out of relief. Kid was as obvious as they came, not that Rey was likely to notice when she was a bit thick.

He sat back with a sigh feeling better about seeing Rey, now that he knew for sure Eris wasn't romantically attached. Although then he was left with getting to Rey, it was a testament to his own loyalty that he was going back to the very evil he'd tried so hard to escape from. "How're we getting in?" he asked knowing there were measures to keep unwanted visitors from entering.

"Their shields have a fractional refresh rate," Han answered feeling the ship begin to drop out of lightspeed, which meant they were nearly there. "It keeps anything traveling slower than lightspeed from getting through."

The meaning behind those words had Eris uncrossing her legs as she sat up and turned to an equally wary Finn. "We're making our landing approach at lightspeed?" he asked wondering what Solo's plan was to keep them from crashing, because there was no way they wouldn't.

Eris watched Finn rise to his feet and she reached an arm out grabbing the hem of his jacket and pulled him back into his seat. "We're landing at lightspeed," she said over Han's order for Chewie to get ready, "buckle up." Unlike Finn she'd flewn with Han many times before, he was reckless and brave, and more than that he was damn good. But while she had no doubt they'd land safely she knew they'd be sore and bruised from how wildly they were thrown around.

And she wasn't wrong. They dropped out of lightspeed level with the base's tree line, they were all thrown forward as they struck, and then jarred as they hit the ground. "I am pulling up!" Han yelled. The force with which the bottom of the ship landed on the rocky cliff flung them back into the air with their momentum propelling them forward, and as gravity would have it their ship violently crashed back onto the planet. There was a moment, a brief second of fear, as Eris caught sight of the cliff they were now skidding toward that she honestly thought they'd die. But luck was apparently on their side as they were brought to a jolting halt just beside the edge.

Unbuckling herself and pushing the hair out of her face Eris stood on uneasy legs and stepped toward the back of the ship for the exit.  
"Just like old times, huh Eris?" Han asked close at her back.

Casting a dark look over her shoulder she seethed, "go suck a nerf Han."

Her insult had him pausing as he looked at her back. "There's that winning personality that's gotten you so many friends," he sneered as he began walking again, grabbing a jacket on the way. "How's that been workin for ya?"

"Coming from the old man whose best friend's giant dog."

Han heard Chewie laughing behind him, far too used to her to mind that she'd insulted him as well – Chewie had stopped minding when he realized she liked him. They all pulled closer at the first bite of the frigid air, their feet crunching in the snow. "Want my jacket?" Han asked seeing around his hood Eris' smaller form as she marched with her arms hugging her waist tightly.

"No," she said through clenched teeth and a trembling jaw.

She was as predictable as he was sometimes, which was exactly why he'd offer because he got feel like a gentleman without having to do a damn thing. He did look to Chewie and jerk his head in her direction causing the Wookie to move closer to her, not that he was any warmer. When Finn caught first glimpse at the daunting structure he stopped. "The flooding tunnel's just over that ridge. We'll get in that way," he said pointing in the general direction, seeing Eris' blonde head following his hand. Poe told him she was a great ally to have, difficult as anything, but she'd put herself in front of any blaster to keep the people with her safe; but his compliment was double handed, he warned Finn to watch her just in case she decided to leave. Finn was seeing Poe was right, he looked at Eris' narrowed eyes as she tried to spot the entrance realizing she was already planning it. He'd have to watch her alright.

"What was your job when you were based here?" Han asked wondering how the kid knew about the flooding tunnels.

Finn's answer was simple. "Sanitation."

"Sanitation?" Han repeated baffled at the kid who helped plan their whole mission having been in _sanitation_. "And how do you know how to disable the shields?" he asked seeing Eris' head turn as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't," Finn answered simply still. "I'm just here to get Rey."

She looked at him then, saw the honesty in his readable face; he'd be easier to convince than anyone to cut ties and run. Finn had looked to Eris for added measure, as a show that he'd been honest earlier when he first told her he only wanted to get Rey – Eris already knew she was gonna like this kid. He'd probably be more willing to live an outlaw's life than Rey, they'd double team Rey she'd have to agree.

Han looked between the two having known what Eris would do soon as he broke her out, he'd only hoped either the pilot or Rey would convince her to stick around to help. "People are counting on us," Han somehow finding himself the voice of reason. "The galaxy is counting on us."

Finn looked at him excitedly and shrugged. "Solo, we'll figure it out." His face was the optimism of that of a child, and it was almost endearing. "We'll use the Force."

And there went all thoughts of Eris liking him, he was thicker than Rey and she didn't have time for naïvee. With a scoff she walked in the direction Finn had pointed leaving the three behind, hearing Han break the news to Finn that wasn't the way the Force worked. She smiled though at Han's raised voice asking, "oh really you're cold?" as they marched on after her. Leave it to Chewie, she thought to herself as she wrapped her arms further around her waist against the wind.

She made it before they did, and after hauling the heavy door and wincing at its moan she stepped in and slowed her breaths to listen. Finn came in next watching her back, making sure she didn't run off, and he watched her step forward on light feet and peer around a corner. "What's she doing?" he asked when Han stepped in after him, seeing her drop to a crouch with both palms flat on the floor.

Han pulled off his jacket and let it drop to the ground waiting until she righted herself, satisfied no one was coming. "Feeling for vibrations," he answered stepping forward.

Finn nodded understanding that, she'd been feeling for footsteps. She was a hunter, it wasn't until he saw her in this base with her wild pale hair that he recognized her – or at least the idea of her. Her callsign was 501, the only one of her kind as far as Finn had been told – she was more than the average bounty hunter to The Order but she wasn't actually with them which discluded her from being an agent. "Do you know who she is?" he asked hushedly turning to Han.

"We don't have time for this," Han said pushing past him standing in the wide doorway next to her. "The longer we're here the less luck we're gonna have. Which way?" he asked forcing Finn to the front.

Eris felt his eyes on her as they walked, checking every so often that she was still there. She stuck to his side, letting her arm brush against his every so often so he'd know she was there. It was a pattern, one he got used to. He didn't have to see her over his shoulder he could feel her. Which meant he wasn't consciously seeking her out, his mind was convinced she was there.

"What's the plan, kid?" Han asked looking around them with a blaster raised on the chance they stumbled across anyone in the halls. Eris was good, very much so, but that didn't mean she was omniscient, she couldn't be there with them and still listen for small sounds – she'd miss something. And it had him wondering why she wasn't at the front considering she'd probably been to this base and walked these halls til she had it memorized incase she was ever the one who needed to escape.

"My old captain'll know where the shield's coms are and how to shut off. Besides, I've got several things I'd like to tell her," Finn said wishing he'd ever seen her face so he could imagine the surprise on it. He was brought short by Eris throwing her arm across his chest stopping him in his tracks. With her hand now wrapped around his arm she stood holding him to her side as she listened, hearing the rustling of Han's pants as he stopped, the deep breaths of Chewie behind her, the muted muffled voices around the corner ahead of them. She couldn't make out a single word spoken, and the hair on her neck rose when what she heard next was silence.

"Don't move," she breathed before turning to look at the walls. Her feet were light, her steps quick and quiet, her hands running along the wall looking for any doorway and praying it would open. With a soft _whoosh_ one opened and Finn peered around Chewbacca's shoulder watching her run in. He half expected someone to cry out, to yell intruder. He turned to Han and opened his mouth.  
Han was quick to raise a finger to his lips silencing him. He knew Eris, someone was coming down the hall and someone was in the room, only thing they could do was wait. The three men released the breath they'd been holding when she came back into the hall and motioned quickly for them to follow. Soon as they all they were all inside she shut the door, nearly catching Chewie's fur.  
She stood with an ear pressed to the metal listening to the two pairs of feet rounding the corner and come to a stop, looking both directions wondering if someone was there because they'd heard voices – voices not distorted by helmets. The sound of their footsteps started again and Eris breathed a sigh of relief to find them growing softer. They'd turned the other way. She moved from the door and knelt beside the The Order agent who'd been inside and pulled the knife from his throat where she'd stuck it. "Here's an idea," she said turning to the others, two of which knew she was brutal and one who stood with a closed mouth and wide eyes staring at her bloody knife, "no more talking in the hallways. We all in agreement?" She moved back to the door and pushed the button to open it, pulling the blaster from her belt she quickly looked in the direction the others had gone before looking behind her.

Han nodded at the hand she raised knowing she meant for them to stay there while she checked it out. "You know where your former captain's gonna be?" he asked looking to Finn, who had to tear his eyes from the body lying on the floor.

"What?" he asked having not heard. But as Han sighed and opened his mouth to repeat himself Finn saw the open door, he'd forgotten to watch her. "Where is she, you don't let her go out there alone did you?"

"Kid," Han hissed trying to grab him before he could run out there.

But he missed and Finn looked down the empty hall seeing no sign of Eris' gray suit or her yellow hair. He ran forward rounding the corner to see yet another empty hall. "She's gone," he said reentering the room.

"Of course she's not," Han said shoving passed him thinking Eris wouldn't leave them, not when they were all so vulnerable. But he saw what Finn had, bare metal walls. "Aw hell."

…

Eris moved quickly stepping on the balls of her feet not making a sound as she rushed through hall after hall. They were too loud all together, they were going after the shield first as well. Han was right, the longer they were there the less luck they'd have – someone was gonna find them, and whether or not they'd be able to fight their way out Eris planned on having Rey before the fighting started. Besides, she'd always been better on her own.

She was brought to a halt at distorted voices. Her feet were widespread having gone to take another step but didn't finish it, her shoulders were bent forward as she strained to listen. There were four of them, four distinct metallic sounding voices at least it was always possible someone hadn't spoken – more than that they weren't moving. She dropped to the floor and crawled slowly to the fork in the hall; left were stormtroopers, right was a wall, behind her was backtracking, and forward was the bridge that'd take her to the other side of the base where prisoners were kept to be interrogated. Eris didn't know where Rey was or if she'd even gotten free, forward was the only option.

With as little of her face exposed as possible Eris looked down the perpendicular hall to see four stormtroopers standing at the back having some sort of a conversation about Kylo Ren's prisoner having escaped. All Eris heard was the word escape, that was all she needed the rest was noise. Watching them, waiting until the two that faced her end of the hall were blocked by the two with their backs to her, she got on her hands and feet and darted across to the other side. She stood with her back to the hall holding her breath listening, hearing their uninterrupted conversation continue and breathed a quiet breath of relief.

Every turn was a threat, every corner, every hall – there were stormtroopers and guards everywhere – half the time she was forced to climb the wall and hang from the ceiling. Her least favorite place as it had both her hands occupied unable to reach for a weapon. Until finally she reached the last walkway that led to the center of the base with a large chasm in the middle. She didn't know what it was or what it did, all she knew was there was a bridge somewhere – the problem, of course, were the stormtroopers. She wouldn't get anywhere without being seen, and they were making rounds walking on the platform overlooking the…

Eris caught sight of a dirty light brown tunic set against the cold gray of the metal lining the walls of the chasm. She couldn't have helped the smile that spread wide on her face if she'd tried. Dammit was the kid good. Eris watched Rey climb inside something in the wall, seeing the stormtroopers on the other side she'd been avoiding.

Eris ran. Back the way she'd come, going right then left then straight. She turned down the hall to see the four were still there, she pulled her staff from her belt and flicked her wrist elongating the sharpened end. They were caught wholly by surprise. She gutted two, sticking the rod through their soft middles like a kabob. She knocked the feet out from under one, and while he fell she grabbed her dagger and jammed it up through the last ones chin feeling him jerk before he fell limp. Grabbing the handle of her staff she flicked the lever retracting it letting the two dying troopers fall to the ground. The one she'd knocked down didn't have a moment to collect himself she moved so efficient, to understand what'd happened before she was standing over him. He reached for his gun at the sight of her cold face, his mind finally catching up, but not faster than her. By the time he moved she already pressed the lever unleashing the blade on her staff and it stuck in his neck. He choked for several long moments, blood pooling on the floor beneath him, his hand reaching uselessly to his throat. And then he stilled, his hand fell limp, his blood kept coming, and his voice was silenced.

She pulled the blade from his throat and retracted it, far too used to her own brutality to spare thought to what she'd done. Her mind was on Rey, on getting her as far from this planet and Kylo Ren as she could. Bypassing the pathway entirely through the halls of the base, after a few minutes Eris found herself on the other side of the chasm. "Need a hand?"

Rey looked up from the structure she was climbing to see the owner of the light yet firm voice. "Eris," Rey sighed taking her hand and pulled herself onto the platform. Without warning Rey threw her arms around Eris' shoulders holding her as though she were the very air she needed to breathe. "I didn't think you'd find me," she mumbled into her hair having wished Eris had been there from the beginning. But what Rey felt then at realizing she had someone who was willing to cross the galaxy for her felt like a hand that both kept her steady and squeezed her heart, and she clung to Eris not wanting to lose that.

"Told you I would, didn't I," Eris said wrapping her arms tight around Rey's back. As the more practical of the two Eris kept her hold on Rey and stepped back toward the hall she'd come from, not willing to keep them in the open for any bypasser to stumble on. She held Rey to her feeling the kid's fluttering pulse against her neck, their rapid breathing slowing into rhythm, their relief shared.

There was a whisper of movement behind them, a faint clanking of the white plates stormtroopers wore that had Eris pulling Rey tighter. Rey stiffened in Eris' arms as she felt their presence drawing near. Without letting her go Eris turned to see a dead end on their left and an open platform on their right – so Eris stepped right bringing Rey with her. A group of stormtroopers stepped onto the platform further down, at the sight of them Eris shoved Rey to the corner between a column and the doorway. The two stood flush against each other staring at the other's wide uncertain eyes, as they realized they were surrounded.


	13. Chapter 13

Looking about the large open room they saw nothing but their own men in the same white plated armor marching along the walkway looking for the prisoner just as they were. The two stormtroopers standing in the doorway to the hall looked at one another and shook their heads, retreating back the way they'd come.

The three that'd circled their side of the platform, with no sign of either the prisoner or 501 - whom Kylo Ren had informed was there for the girl as well – drew to a stop next to a column. How Ren had known the hunter was on the base was beyond them, but they'd stumbled across the bodies of proof.

"Are we sure 501's here?"

"You know anyone else careless enough to kill First Order soldiers on their own base?"

"Maybe it was the girl."

"No," the third said quieting the other two. "I know the mark of her blade when I see it. She'd have come this way looking for the girl, and she's not stupid enough to fly out of here."

"She'll be hiding."

"Who knows why she wants the prisoner; get back in Kylo Ren's good graces, to take what he wants. Either way you know our orders, they're both to be returned to him alive."

"Alive sure, but if you wanna live we're knocking 501 out."

The third shrugged not caring beyond Kylo Ren's wrath. "He didn't specify anything more than breathing. Keep an eye out for any small spaces she could fit into, and watch your back."

The stormtroopers fell in line as they marched back the way they'd come, overturning their designated zone in the hopes either girl might be found. The dark column jutted out from the wall, bore the markings of the First Order's signa, and atop sat both scavenger and renegade.

Rey knelt with her legs under her nestled against Eris' back hearing their armor as they moved further away. Eris was on her feet, her knees bent to her chest, having prepared herself to lunge at the three had any of them the mind to look up. Her arms were spread wide on either side of the way, effectively masking Rey behind her; their cheeks molded together, their breaths evened into rhythm.

When Eris was satisfied they were gone, and no more were coming, she grabbed the edge of the column and jumped down. Rey watched Eris land on the balls of her feet with only the faintest of sounds and met her eyes when she stood and raised her arms to her. She wouldn't be as quiet as Eris had, she didn't have the practice, so she slid down the side of the metal feeling Eris' hands first grab her waist then as her arms wrapped around her so that Rey landed more on her than the floor. "We're gonna move fast, stick close," Eris told her as she pulled Rey into the hall out of immediate sight. Looking at Rey it was obvious what'd happened; her eyes were slightly red, amidst the relief of being found there was fear, she kept pressing her lips together to fight the trembling of her jaw. Eris tucked a loose strand of hair behind Rey's ear, let her hand fall to her arm as though to embrace her. "Cry later."

Rey quickly nodded taking a deep shaky breath and wiped a hand under her wet nose. "How'd you know I was here?" she asked before Eris could turn away. Rey wasn't complaining it just didn't make sense, Eris had been left on Jakku, and unless she knew about BB-8 Rey didn't understand how she could've known where to find her.

"With help," Eris answered grabbing her arm and pulling her with her. "Keep your gun out, we're killin everyone we come across."

They set out at a brisk jog; Eris' feet were light, Rey's weren't as loud as they could've been. But they stopped at every turn, Eris would then throw herself into the next hall with her blaster aimed and a finger on the trigger. Only once had they stumbled across anyone this way, Eris had effectively dropped them all before they'd had time to realize she was there. It was louder than Eris wanted, more reckless, but already she heard the muffled far away sounds of explosions and knew the shields had been lowered and Poe's squadron was now shooting up the base. Eris had figured with them under attack most of the stormtroopers would've returned to their captains to receive orders, only a few would be kept out and vigilante in search for the prisoner. But if the plan did work, and Han had eventually explained to her what the Resistance wanted in this mission, then she Rey and the others needed to get off the base before it blew. Or Poe's team failed and the Order's efforts were once more on finding them. She was ready for either.

Rey didn't know it but Eris was taking them back to the flooding tunnel, it's where Han knew she'd go but only on the chance he guessed she'd found Rey. It was all she had to go on, and like it or not she'd leave them if it was the only way to get Rey off the base. And if she was right, because Rey had stopped her several times to avoid a particular hall Eris hadn't heard anything down, then Kylo Ren wanted Rey for much more than information.

Rounding a corner Eris had enough time to see the shape of bodies and raised the blaster rifle with a finger tightening on the trigger.

"Whoa! It's us." Han yelled seeing Eris' cold eyes as she prepared to shoot – at the same time Finn yelled "no," seeing Rey's scared but firm face as she raised her own gun.

Both girls recognized the familiar friendly faces and released a breath lowering their weapons. Eris watched Finn look at Rey with hope in his eyes as he asked if she was okay, and then watched as Rey looked at him confused but happy – maybe Rey wasn't so thick after all.

"How d'you know I found her?" she asked looking up at Han.

He raised a shoulder smirking down at her seeing what might've been a light in her eyes, one he thought had been extinguished with Cal's death. "Saw you come outta the hall as she was climbing up."

Eris nodded realizing they'd probably come the same way she had, stood on the opposite side with a daunting chasm between them. "Shields are down then," she said wanting to get moving again now that they were all accounted for.

"Yeah, tell you about it later," Han answered clapping her shoulder. "You're gonna like this kid." He turned from her disbelieving face to see Rey's arms wrapped tight around Finn's shoulders, saw the kids arms around her back holding her just as fiercely. "Escape now hug later," he told them urging them toward hatch that'd take them back outside.

Eris grabbed both kids and pulled them after her, placing them behind her with her at the front holding the blaster rifle steady.

"She really does do that," Finn said finding himself looking at her back, as he'd been told to expect.

Rey looked from Finn to the back of Eris' yellow head. "Do what?" she asked having been wondering what this meant for Eris and her freedom. Rey thought she must've had a plan to get away from the Resistance, Eris wouldn't let herself be arrested just to save her. At least Rey was guarded enough she didn't let herself hope for it.

"Poe said she kept putting him behind her, like he was the damsel," Finn answered with a slight chuckle, finding it hard but amusing to imagine Poe at her back as she protected him.

Rey recognized the name, and she thought on it a few moments before remembering the first time Finn had said it. "BB-8's master is alive?" she asked thinking the droid must've been so pleased to see him.

Finn nodded having forgotten Rey hadn't been there to know, she'd been here with Kylo Ren in the same prison he'd helped Poe escape from. "Yeah she found him, got him back to the Resistance. That's where I met her."

"They didn't arrest her?" Rey asked hopeful that meant Eris would be pardoned, or at least allowed to leave.

But Finn shook his head. "Han broke her out." He met Eris' stare as she looked at him over her shoulder, and after she'd turned back around he put his mouth by Rey's ear and said quietly, "I think her husband might be with them, I didn't hear that part."

Rey's jaw slackened at that news, having never guessed Eris had once been married or had ever spared time or emotion enough for it. She knew Eris had once loved someone, had loved them greatly, but she also knew much Eris ached – ached in the same way Rey herself did for something lost with no hope of it ever being found. Just as softly Rey told him, "he's dead."

Finn turned sharply to Rey wondering how she knew that when Poe hadn't even known Eris had a husband. And then he looked to Eris' back, her straight spine, her steady hands – her hard unforgiving eyes, her unkind disposition. It made sense, it fit. It made him sad.

They didn't say much else as they trekked through the snow back to their ship. Finn slung his jacket around Rey's small shoulders, earning a small smile from her, Eris slung the rifle over her shoulder, Han forced his own jacket into Eris' hands though she was much less grateful, and Chewie kept his bow in hand looking frequently over his shoulder watching their backs.

With the Millennium Falcon in sight their resolve flared, safety just a short distance away. In truth they'd all considered death that day, of failing – the ship was proof of their victory. Though short lived because the far sound of blaster fire had them turning back to the base to see the X-wings barely had a chance to lock onto a target before they were forced to pull up to avoid the TIE fighters behind them. Not to mention the soldiers shooting from the ground; the fighter pilots were nowhere near victory.

"They're in trouble," Han said remembering a time it'd been Luke in an x-wing needing aid.

"We can't leave."

Han looked to Finn seeing the fight in his eyes. "My friend's gotta bag full of explosives," he said seeing first Finn's confusion and then the gleam in his dark eyes. "Let's use 'em."

The first obvious question came from Finn, a simple how because not everyone had the same mind as Han. Han rushed through the explanation of placing bombs inside the compound to give the x-wings a way in so they could blow the oscillator. A good plan, one Eris was surprised hadn't been made in the briefing room – even if the Order hadn't fought back the planes had no way of getting to the oscillator. The kids would distract the stormtroopers guarding the oscillator, because The Order had to know it was the target, and the three left would place the bombs.

The only problem, as Han saw it, was Eris. In her pale suit with her pale skin and her pale hair, she almost seemed to blend with the snow she stood in, her expression as cold as the biting wind. She'd wanna leave immediately, damn the Resistance – she had what she wanted. "I know what you're thinkin," he said hearing Finn and Rey behind him talking amongst themselves about how to keep the stormtrooper's attention.

"Really?" Eris said staring hard up at his pleading face, already knowing what he thought of her. She was a renegade, a deserter, he knew what to expect.

"You run when things hard, it's easier. Kid, trust me I get it." He watched her eyes fall as she turned away, her mouth pursed, her hands working in and out of fists. "One of these days you're gonna hit a dead end and all the things you tried to outrun are gonna catch up." He met her eye when she turned back to him, her gaze was hard and searching, his own stare was soft framed by wrinkles showing his age. "Don't burn this bridge, Eris, she'll pardon you."

Drawing her brows together and narrowing her eyes she asked, "are you done?" He sighed heavily in defeat letting his shoulders slump at the realization she was farther gone than he'd realized. And when he was at his lowest, knowing she'd probably take the ship and desert them to save her own hide, she next asked, "how many explosives can you spare?"

The meaning behind her words didn't hit him all at once, but he turned to her with confusion etched in his weathered face to see she was completely serious. "What?" he asked not believing she hadn't at least considered leaving – hell even he had for a brief second.

But she shrugged unconcerned. "Gettin in's all well and good but he'll probably need a way out," she answered, explaining what she'd actually been thinking. And he stared down at her completely amazed by her turn around, wondering who'd thawed her impenetrable defenses. "That was a real nice speech, Han," she almost cooed, if she hadn't been shivering in the cold. "It take you five years come up with?"

"Maybe," he answered seeing that right corner of her mouth just barely curl. It really was like old times, only the years hadn't served either of them well. He might've commented on it, knowing that he was reserved only for the pilot as was her investment in seeing this mission through, that is if Han didn't understand what she planned. "You'd be exposed, no way to defend yourself. He wouldn't ask you to do this."

That was true, Poe would outright refuse if he knew what she was thinking. Had he'd been there he probably would've thrown her over his shoulder and carried her onto the ship where he'd tie her down to ensure she didn't go through with it. But Eris wasn't thinking of what Poe wanted she was thinking of his survival, of the several times she'd pulled him behind her or put herself in front of him, of how soon after meeting him she'd taken on the willingness to die for him. "Some lives matter more than others," she told Han. "And I'm not asking."

Han stared hard at her stubborn face seeing in her set jaw her mind was made up. It left him wondering who this pilot was, thinking he must've been a helluva guy to earn her favor in such short time. So Han stepped back, realizing she'd made the choice not to run, and he let her go feeling a certain pride toward her. "Take what you need."

…

The sound of a pilot's communicator crackling to an end sounded once more in Poe's earpiece. They'd lost half their fleet already and they'd barely made a dent in the base's defenses. Four guns had been taken out but there were still two more continuously firing at their fighters, and hot on their tails were a league of TIE fighters with equal power and greater speed.

"Black leader, I've got eyes on Renegade-1," came Snap Wexley's voice over Poe's communication unit.

Poe pulled up avoiding an Order fighter, locked onto another TIE firing at one of his men and shot it down. "Outside the base?" he asked looking briefly to the outer wall but all that brief glance gave him was how many stormtroopers were shooting from the ground.

"Affirmative" Snap answered, circling back around in the direction he'd noticed her. At first he'd mistaken her for snow on the otherwise dark gray wall, but snow didn't move that fast, and her clothes weren't white enough to be mistaken for a stormtrooper. "How d'you want me to proceed?" he asked not able to tell what she was doing. All he knew was what he'd been told, a hired gun for the First Order regardless how highly Poe had spoken of her. Snap didn't trust her, his thoughts immediately turned to betrayal.

Poe however circled back to one of the guns, finally hit his mark before he was forced to pull up due to the TIE fighter stuck close on his tail. "What are you doing Eris?" he asked himself, thinking too highly of her to consider her betraying them. He didn't have the luxury of flying by her to see for himself, nor would he on the chance the TIE's pilot caught sight of her and started shooting. "Be there when she needs you."

With a sigh Snap altered his course back around to her. "Roger that, black leader," he said locking on to where Eris ran along the outer wall.

Planting the explosives had been the easy part, lining them up so that when they blew the roof would cave in giving the pilots an exit big enough for them to fit. What hadn't been as easy was getting back down, namely because she saw just how badly the Resistance pilots were faring. She should've gone back to Han and Chewie, to be there once they detonated the bombs so they could all hurry to leave before the oscillator was destroyed and the planet broke apart. Or at least have gone after Rey and Finn who'd stolen a snowspeeder luring the stormtroopers away from the base. She should've done anything but run toward the gunfire atop the highest wall for all above and below to take notice of.

With the ledge several feet to her right she stopped and pulled the blaster rifle from her shoulder, flipped the lever turning it from a single blast to a stream of laser bolts. She leveled the squadron of stormtroopers manning, and protecting, the last blaster cannon. Her efforts weren't unnoticed, and they were in vein, because as soon as the soldiers began dropping the company next to them turned to see their men under attack.

Throwing the rifle away Eris raced for the ledge, hearing the high pitched sound of a bolt shooting above her head. She knew it was gonna draw fire to her, she'd planned her position so she could easily jump: what she hadn't planned was the landing. Somehow in the heat of it all she'd forgotten that part.

At the deafening sound of a plane she looked to her right seeing an X-Wing flying level with her, the bearded pilot inside made a large gesture below him and she looked to see a long cable quickly extending toward the ground. She in turn let her arm fall back to point behind them indicating that was the direction she wanted, his response was to hold his index finger to the pad of his thumb signaling his 'okay'. Upon reaching the edge of the wall Eris jumped without hesitation, seeing the pilot make a sharp left, allowing her to wrap her arms around the rope and cling to it.

When he was certain he'd caught her Snap doubled back, catching the last canon as he went blowing it and the new stormtroopers manning it to pieces. Unable to keep an eye on his new passenger he relied on the word of his droid to tell him she was sliding toward the ground fast. When his droid informed him she'd reached the bottom he leaned forward to see her small form clear enough he recognized her quick gesture as a salute. He was left shaking his head as he flew back around to where his squadron was, catching sight of Pava where she'd been covering him.

With instinct demanding she return to the ship to wait, her part completed, she instead ran back into the base on the chance any part of their plan went belly up. Eris should've known from the lack of presence in the halls something was wrong, that she should have at least come across one small team walking their designated area on the lookout for the escaped prisoner. But she'd considered it luck, thought perhaps it was proof she was on her way to doing the right thing.

At least until she reached room containing the massive thermal oscillator and found that the stormtroopers who should've been monitoring the halls were crowded on the landing she stood at the back of and the one where Chewie stood below her. Looking up she found Rey and Finn had safely returned, and she followed their wide confused stares to see Han standing in the middle of the bridge with Kylo Ren. It made no sense to her how he could know Kylo Ren, how he could stand barely an arm's distance away as though…  
Only once had he ever allowed her to see him without his mask, she'd woken from a long bout of unconsciousness to find his young stony face where he'd sat beside her. She hadn't been in the mind to realize it then but he had Han's eyes, the point of his nose, even the shape his jaw. Her understanding gave way to knowing: Kylo Ren didn't want the light, it festered in him like a plague but he didn't want it. Han was making a mistake.

Though the sight of a red lightsaber piercing through Han's back was not unexpected it was greatly unwanted, and Eris stepped forward with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Below her Chewie gave a pained cry, his closest friend lost, above her Rey screamed for the only father she'd likely know, even Finn had cried out at the loss of a great man. But Eris stood silent, her chest numb, unable to comprehend. She looked at Kylo Ren, who felt a familiar muted pain and looked up to see her wild yellow hair realizing the woman he'd spared in a moment of weakness had turned on him. His gaze then shifted above her, catching sight of the scavenger with more power than she knew – these two women, they'd destroy him.

A gasp was pulled from Eris' lungs at the bolt catching his side making him stumble back. She remembered herself, remembered as lonely and starved as he was he was also a murderer – not so unlike herself. She remembered herself. Raising her blaster at the stormtroopers now aware of Chewie's presence, she fired several shots hitting at least two but mostly aiming to draw their fire from the Wookie. She ran forward and dropped to the floor sliding beneath the rails to the platform below where Chewie caught hold of her and ran to the hall. She stood against his soft chest feeling the violent reverberations of the explosions jarring through her, causing her skeleton to tremble.

She knew Rey and Finn would have to go back outside to reach them, the oscillator half blown to bits. "Come on," she told Chewie with as much gentleness as she could, but her tone was still hard as iron. The two ran for the flooding tunnel, coming across two groups of soldiers who Chewie cut through with his bowcaster and an enraged grieving roar, and back out into the frigid air. It looked like night, cold and dark, the only light to be found was far away reflected on the surface of some other planet.

"I don't know how to fly this thing," she said when they'd climbed aboard the freighter and Chewie sat himself in the copilot's chair. He gave a mournful bellow refusing to sit in Han's chair. It left her huffing as she acted as pilot, staring at the console for several long moments trying to orient herself. "Don't blame me if we crash," she told him sternly, toggling a switch her and flipping a lever there. For the most part Chewie took control of the ship, from his copilot's chair, keeping the ship level while Eris stood leaning over the console to get a look out the window for any sign of Rey and Finn.

"Wait, go back."

Chewie turned the hovering ship back around until Eris told him to stop. He asked what she saw but she raised a hand to quiet him, and he was left sitting impatiently as she stared hard into the dark. Chewie watched the small woman climb onto the console, her knees too close to pressing buttons she shouldn't, her hands cupping her eyes as she pressed against the window trying to see against the glare of the ship's lights.

At his quiet unsure moan Eris answered, "lightsabers. I think." She wasn't sure, she was seeing sparks of something through the trees, a little red a little blue sometimes nothing at all. "They can't be fighting," she said more to herself, "unless Kylo sucks I don't see how she thinks she can w- oh."

Staring at her backside Chewie was quick to ask what, unable to see for himself, not that he was making an effort to look past where Eris was bent in front of him. But his impatience won and he nudged her leg.

"I don't see red anymore," Eris said no longer seeing anything. Behind her Chewie asked for a little more information than that but she could only shrug. "I don't know, I was seeing red and blue and then the red disappeared followed by the blue. I mean, it seems like she might've,"

The planet itself seemed to quake and the once level ship began to sway roughly, the Wookie had one hand holding them steady and with the other he caught Eris before she fell. "Bout time Poe," she muttered pushing herself away from Chewie and back into the seat. "Someone's that way," she said pointing just slightly west of where they faced. "And if it's Kylo Ren we're shootin him."

Chewie gave a loud agreement as he flew them to the quivering tree line as the planet began to fall apart. Bursting through a row of trees the ship's beam landed on two small forms lying in the snow. "Open the door," Eris yelled already running for the exit. Hitting the snow she ran beneath the ship to the place Rey knelt beside Finn. "Is he breathing?" she asked dropping to her knees beside him.

"I think so," was Rey's choked answer.

Eris nodded looking up to see Chewie jogging toward them, and then turned back to Rey. "Hey," she said laying a hand on her shoulder, "cry later." She held Rey's pained gaze and waited until she nodded before turning to Chewie. "Get him inside, Rey'll be your pilot."

While Rey sat in the captain's chair Eris was tucked away in a small room kneeling beside Finn doing all she could for him, feeling the ship lurch from how narrowly they'd avoided being destroyed along with the planet. They were one man less, one and a half consider Finn was just barely hanging on; it wasn't the victory they'd hoped. But it was a victory nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So next chapter is the last of part one. I've been considering whether or not to write a prequel which would feature mainly Eris and Cal, with a lot of Han and Chewie (and a little bit of Kylo Ren). And I'd love to hear your opinion on that, whether you all would be interested in reading it.


	14. Chapter 14

Eris stuck close to Chewie's side as he carried Finn off the ship, blood painting her hands and staining her clothes. She was a startling sight for the Resistance, their cheerful victory met with the costly price. Turning to look at Rey over her shoulder Eris met her pained stare, held it feeling like the whole galaxy stood between them, and gave the other girl a small nod before looking after Finn once more.

"I managed to stop the bleeding," she told the men helping Chewie lower the fragile boy onto the hoverpad. They made room for her, seeing the proof that she'd done all she could to help him and still wanted to do more.

Poe caught sight of her grey suit, noticed the blood covering her hands. He turned briefly to see the girl Eris had done all this for, saw her dark hair and young pretty face, her sad gaze – he almost wanted to introduce himself to her, see if she had any better understanding for the mutual woman they both knew. But then he'd caught sight of Finn's body lying on the stretcher, saw Eris climb on it kneeling over him to check that he was still breathing. He jogged after them, never losing sight of either her wild yellow hair or his wounded stormtrooper. "How is he?" he asked when Eris had gone as far as she was useful, leaving the two staring after the medical droids as they took Finn away.

"Stable," she answered simply as she grabbed a pitcher and filled it with water going about cleaning the dried blood off her skin. "That's apparently all we've got," she grumbled scrubbing her flesh til it was raw, and then continued scrubbing. "And for some reason that's supposed to be all we can ask for."

"Hey," he said grabbing her hands knowing if she continued she'd eventually draw blood.

She was quick to pull her hands from his grasp, shaking the water from them she grabbed a cloth and pat herself dry still thinking she should've done something more for Han – she could've shot Kylo Ren in the face, she'd had the perfect vantage point. Han wouldn't have been dead then, and Finn wouldn't be halfway there. But faced with that choice Eris didn't know if she could do it, she knew the face behind the mask, she knew he was capable of being more than a murderer. "I saw your men go down," she said glancing up at Poe's kind face momentarily before her eyes fell back to the floor.

It was as close as she was getting to condolence, and it made his mouth twitch to see her effort. "Thanks," he told her watching as she moved to a bench. With a sigh he sat himself beside her leaning against the wall behind them with his arms crossed. "I'll have to tell their families," he said remembering how his father had knelt beside him as he told him his mother was dead. "They died for a good cause, they died so that others could live. Their memory will be honored." He felt how hollow that sounded, how untrue, but it was all he had to give. He turned to Eris expecting her hard stare and her frowning mouth. Her mouth was in fact frowning, but her eyes were soft, so very vulnerable.

"Don't tell them that," she said softly, feeling the warmth from his hip where it pressed against her own.

He resisted the urge to brush the hair out of her face, and instead asked, "what am I supposed to say?"

She shrugged looking away from his searching dark gaze, finding his eyes were too sweet to look at. "Today is easy," she said turning back to him to find his brows drawn together in confused disapproval. "They're surrounded by compassion and promises that everything'll be okay. But next week, next year, when everyone around them has already forgotten?" Eris raised a shoulder giving a short bitter breath of a laugh as she ran a hand through her hair, and Poe watched her as his brow smoothed in understanding. "And then years later they'll start to forget, til all they're left with's an empty space someone used to fill." Her face was one of anger, her teeth clenched and bared, but he saw the shining in her eyes before she turned away and swallowed, raising her eyes to the ceiling as she pushed it all away. With her arms crossed tight over her chest she told him, "sometimes there isn't anything you can say."

The two sat shoulder to shoulder in silence as the weight of her words fell on them both, as they waited together for a medical droid to come back and update them Finn's condition. Only it wasn't a droid who came to fetch them. "General's asking for you."

Poe looked at Eris to find her already looking his way. "Pretty sure she meant you too," he said knowing it probably wasn't the best idea to let her roam their base freely, then again it probably wasn't the best idea to have her front and center either.

But Eris only shrugged. "I'm the reason Lor San Tekka's dead, pretty sure I'm not invited."

He had to give her that, and fault her too because it was no one's doing but her own. Whether or not he blamed her for it was a different matter, and he had to wonder if she'd actively tried to get him to understand her. "Maybe not," he agreed. "But I am disarming you." He knew the moment he said it she'd refuse, her immediate 'no' came as no surprise. "Yup, on your feet."

With a sigh so heavy the muscles in her chest strained with the movement she reluctantly stood and let him strip her of every weapon she had: his hands running down her waist and around her hips to find the knife tucked in her belt, and then trailed down the length of her strong legs to find the dagger stuffed in her right boot. It left him on his knees his hands wrapped around her calves staring up at her almost amused face. "Got anything else?"

She stared down at him with a brow poised and her mouth slightly pursed. "You gonna take my clothes off to find out?" she asked innocently, as though she didn't know if there were more on her.

Her teasing had him rising to his feet, finding himself only the shortest of inches taller than her. "You want me to?" he offered instead of answered, half expecting her to roll her eyes and step back.

But she only raised her shoulders staring him daringly in the eye as she returned to the bench. "It's not the worst idea I've had," she told him apathetically. He chuckled as he left her there, and she sat watching him go feeling cold where his warm body had once been touching her.

In the end a droid found her before Poe returned, offering nothing more than what she already knew – Finn was stable, beyond that there wasn't much to tell. It wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to be told the renegade trooper would be alright; he'd been so young, so willing to hope.

Quiet and downhearted she left the med bay and wandered the Resistance base until she found the briefing room, or rather heard the loud commotion that came with several people gathered together.

"Hey," Poe said when he caught sight of her, walking across the room to pull her further in. "Any word on Finn?" His face fell when she shook her head but he was quick to clap a hand on her shoulder, his smile though warm didn't come as easily. "Told General Organa what you did for us out there, something your friend Rey said was entirely your idea. I'll have you know the general was very pleased to hear it. I, on the other hand, was not."

She looked at him confused and asked, "why the hell not?"

And while he was grateful it was far outweighed by the part of him that didn't want her hurt. "Cause I'm not lookin to bring you home dead," he told her honestly.

"You shouldn't be looking to bring me anywhere. And if it saved your dumb ass, I'd do it again."

He smirked at her annoyed words, but he didn't relent. "Good to you know you like me. But I'm not gonna ask you to die for me."

She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart holding her ground and gave a quick nod. "And that's why I don't ask," she said smartly watching him roll his eyes.

"So you don't deny it," he asked having expected the first thing to come out of her mouth to be that she most certainly did not like him, to which he could then throw any instance she'd stepped in front of him to protect him back in her face. Except she didn't even seem to notice.

Her eyes narrowed from how heavily her brows were creased as she stared at him incredulous. "Have I not made that clear?" she asking thinking she'd been pretty obvious with how often she went out of her way to save him, let alone the fact that she hadn't killed him.

"As clear as dirt."

Eris looked at his startled brown eyes wondering how he could think anything otherwise, after all she'd done. Hell, she'd charged into the line of fire to help him as he sat better protected in a plane. "Do I need to crack your skull open for you see it?" she asked irritably shaking her head. "Honestly Poe, I don't know if I could've made it more obvious."

He stared after her as she walked away wondering how the hell she thought she'd been obvious. It took her two days to get rid of any lingering thoughts of killing him, she was rude and crass, rough with both handling and her words – but she'd also been kind, though not openly or even nicely, she'd joked and smiled, saved his ass, let her own ass be arrested just to see him home safely. Hell, she really had been obvious, he just hadn't know her well enough to know how to look; that realization had a queer smile tugging on the corner of his mouth as he looked after her. "Oh no," he said watching her eyes glance around the room, looking for Rey, and instead finding someone she didn't know touching her weapons.

It was the same round bearded pilot as last time and she stalked to where he stood at the table Poe had set her things. "What is with you touchin my stuff," she demanded roughly taking the dagger from his hand and securing it in its sheath on her belt.

Instead of bowing out like he should've, because though she helped them she still had a nasty reputation, he instead picked up the retractable staff knowing it was her weapon of choice. "What's with you snatching?" he asked half joking. "Try askin for this nicely, see how much farther it gets you."

Eris narrowed her eyes as she took in his round cheeks and hand-swept hair. "Fine," she said, "give me my staff and I won't stab you with it."

"That wasn't very nice."

Poe joined the two and stood behind her. "Trust me, Snap, it was." He met his old friend's eyes and smiled, seeing he enjoyed pushing her buttons too; it helped when she made it so easy.

Eris turned from Poe's familiar face to the other man. "Your name's Snap?" she asked, the contempt heard thick in her voice.

But he only shrugged saying, "Real name's Temmin."

Shaking her head she grabbed her jacket pulling her arms through the sleeves. "That's not much better," she told him.

He gave a startled laugh staring down at her. "Oh yeah, Eris? We thought you were a man."

She gave him a stony look as she fixed her collar before gathering the rest of her weapons, stuffing the other knife in her boot, hooking the staff to her belt, slinging the rifle she'd stolen earlier that morning over her shoulder. Before she marched away she was stopped by a rush of emotion that had her looking up at him again, her eyes quickly falling from his awaiting ones, and quietly she grumbled, "thank you," before stalking off.

With brows raised high he called after her, "what was that?"

"I'm not sayin it again," she yelled over her shoulder.

With a hearty laugh Snap turned to an unsure Poe and gave an agreeable nod. "She's alright," he told him seeing Poe's relief in his smile.

"Difficult as all get out," he added with a small laugh. "But I'd rather have her with me. Don't think men on the wrong side of her live too long." It made him wonder why Kylo Ren wasn't dead yet, because if he knew anything about Eris it was that she stayed as long as her interest did. Snap followed Poe's gaze to where Eris had walked down the hall, seeing her stop as she caught sight of someone in one of the rooms.

She'd been after Rey, who she figured had wandered to the med bay around the time Eris herself had left it, when she spotted a small lone figure standing solemnly by a window. It took her several long moments of shuffling, wondering about going in before backing out and then considering it again before shaking her head, until her feet moved of their own accord and she was in the room pressing the switch on the wall that had the doors sliding closed with a soft _whoosh_.  
It left her staring at the back of the aged woman's head knowing there wasn't anything she could say. "He was a great man."

Leia gave a short bitter laugh as she turned to the younger woman seeing eyes that mirrored the gaping hole left in her heart. "I hear now how empty those words are," she admitted.

"It doesn't make it any less true," Eris told her, eyes on the floor. Han wasn't the greatest the kindest or the most honest, but he'd been brave and smart, sometimes even pretty nice. At least he'd been all those things to her.

Leia watched her closely finding herself surprised, having thought Eris was throwing Leia's own cruel words back at her now that Leia could understand how much they hurt. And they did hurt, but that hadn't been the girl's intention. "You thought if you lost enough of yourself there wouldn't be anything left of him," she said feeling that same sense of misplacement from Eris as she had hours before. It wasn't until Leia found herself untethered that she understood why Eris had become this, at how hard it was to hold onto herself when part of her was gone.

Pressing her lips together so hard her teeth were indented, she gave a small nod. "It doesn't work."

"It wouldn't be love if it only existed in the mind," Leia said wondering if Eris had always been so cautious with herself.

With her arms wrapped around her middle Eris scuffed her shoe on the cold floor wishing she hadn't come in. "It'd be easier," she mumbled.

A fleeting smile curled on Leia's mouth before it withered. "That it would."

The two stood quietly together without looking at the other, without really being with each other. They shared a room, they shared pain, they shared heartbreak, but they weren't open with it and it separated them. "I know what you wonder," Eris said taking an inching step back toward the door. "What you'll spend the next few days wondering before you realize the answer doesn't bring any part of him back." She glanced at Leia seeing her wary curiosity as she watched Eris step closer and closer still to the door, wanting to slip away before she had to remind herself anymore.

She knew, Leia realized, she knew exactly what thought would not stop replaying over and again without cease. "Do you think he had time to think of me before he died?" she asked wondering if perhaps she might know that too.

Taking a breath Eris steeled herself against the onslaught of sheer sadness, squared her shoulders sniffing it all away. And she thought of Han, of how he'd just stood there staring Kylo Ren in the eye with all the faith of a blind man. "Considering he was being a complete idiot," she said pressing the button that had the door swishing open behind her, "I'd say you and your son were all he was thinking about."

Before the words had finished leaving her mouth Eris escaped around the corner. She knew that face, those eyes, the chin too stubborn to quiver, spine too strong to bend, heart too hard to break. It was too familiar for Eris to comfortably stand it, too much like her. She was a sight walking through the halls, creased brows, scowling mouth, bloodied clothes; most simply moved out of her way, or watched worried, others who knew her stained reputation let their hand fall to their weapon and waited as she passed.

Rey looked up from where she sat in the med bay knowing from the sight of her alone she was sad; most people's faces, Rey had observed, fell as their resolve crumbled. But Eris hardened with it, shutting everyone out and locking herself in. Turning her head Rey followed Eris' movements as she sat on the bench curling her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped tight around them as though to cave in on herself. Quietly Rey sat looking at Eris' pale freckled face, her cheeks pinked from too much sunlight, her lips chapped from the stifling dry air of Jakku. Taking a bite of the second food portion she'd been given, having inhaled the first out of shock from how much better it'd been than what she was used, Rey extended the bowl in gentle offering.

For several moments Eris stared at the food, a kind of stew with large chunks of meat, before she released her knees to fall on opposite sides as she crossed her legs and took the bowl from Rey.

"You didn't tell me you had a husband," Rey said softly, eyes never leaving the only familiar face she had.

Shifting the half chewed food to the side of her mouth Eris dryly responded, "you didn't tell me you were a jedi."

"I'm not," Rey answered without thought.

Eris finished what was in her mouth before taking another large bite, glad to eat something other than the crap Rey had fed her. She finished that bite too, all the while Rey's stare burned into the side of her face letting her know the girl wanted an answer. Eris took a large steadying breath and turned to Rey. "I don't have a husband."

The two stared wordlessly at one another, their eyes though different in strength and color were free of all veils meant to keep others out. Rey could feel something churning in Eris, twisted and ugly, but there was a glimmer of something – like a flame flickering in and out with the changing winds. Eris had met Kylo Ren on several occasions, had stood alone in his presence long enough he brought her to her knees – Rey, so new and pure, she'd been tempted by him.

In the end Rey broke the silence first, finding herself drawn more to the darkness in Eris than the tiny speck of light, she was scared of it. "I think I might be a jedi," she whispered on a breath.

But Eris heard and it had her eyes widening and her brows rising. "I think you might be a jedi too," Eris said in agreement, her tone one of mild teasing. Seeing Rey at the base had solidified that for Eris, already she'd wondered about Rey after watching her fight the naghri, her movements too fluid for an inexperienced fighter; but at the base Rey had known when there were others near, alerted by something Eris couldn't hear.

With tired relief Rey gave a faint laugh as a brief smile spread on her mouth, having thought Eris might call her crazy. Or turn her away, either one would've crushed her. Rey laid her head on Eris' shoulder and wrapped a hand around her arm clinging to her, having thought only a week before no one in the galaxy cared enough to ever find her. And there Eris sat having turned her back on an easy life, siding with the very people who'd wanted her captured, all for a girl she barely knew.

Rey trailed her hand down Eris' arm and circled the rusted cuff encasing her wrist. The chain had been blasted off leaving a small empty metal loop at one end, but a chip was needed to open it; one that lay in a fallen AT-AT on a barren land light years away. Rey was surprised to see it, that Eris hadn't forced it off – Rey wondered if Eris wished to go back to when life was as simple as it'd been on Jakku. "I almost killed him," she breathed, her hand holding fast to Eris' wrist as she pushed further against her side. "I wanted"

Eris felt the breath go out of her as she let the sentence hang, and with it the undeniable truth that she might not be any better than him. Something Eris wholeheartedly disagreed with. "I don't know much about jedi, only embellished stories you hear in a cantina, but I don't think I really agree with them," she said in an effort to prove there was more than one way of thinking, of acting, and different didn't have to mean wrong.

But Rey was quick to say, "you don't agree with anything."

It had Eris grinning as she leaned her head against the wall letting Rey shift her weight to a more comfortable position against her. "True," she agreed. "I'm down for the not feeling," Rey snorted her response. "But life ain't black and white, the choices we make aren't gonna be either."

Timidly Rey looked up at Eris to find her eyes closed as she quietly breathed, looking for all the world like she was at peace. And Rey thought she might've been, a little bit too sad, a little more on edge considering where she was and how malleable the future was, but she almost felt content. "You think there's good and bad in all of us," Rey said having already figured that, though she also knew Eris thought the worst of people. "What we are depends on what we act on." It wasn't what Rey wanted to hear, it didn't comfort her because killing Kylo Ren regardless of his past without mercy wasn't the choice of the good.

Eris' shoulders twitched as though to shrug, a difficult thing with Rey's head weighing one down. "All I know's every light casts a shadow, and you're not gonna see stars when the sun's out."

Rey didn't know enough to know whether that was for or against what she believed, Rey didn't know enough to even know what she believed. But Eris' calm assured demeanor soothed Rey's uncertain heart for the time being, her neck stretching so that she could look at the other woman, her nose brushing against Eris' chin. The quiet reverie was broken by Eris cracking open one eye and squinting down at Rey. "D'I sound like a jedi?"

For a short moment Rey stared at her startled, but then a bubble of laughter escaped her and her shoulders shook from her deep chuckling. "Full a yourself's more like it," Rey said watching Eris' mouth split as she smiled.

Eris laid back with her eyes closed once more not denying it. "Gotta say, a lightsaber would be awesome." Cut through every foe with no more effort than moving her arm, it was a nice thought – at least until she continued thinking. "S'long as I don't cut anything off. I assume they don't come with safety features."

Rey shook her head feeling her hair slide against the smooth leather of Eris' jacket. "You're not gettin a lightsaber," she said thinking if Eris didn't hurt herself she'd hurt everyone else around her.

"Yeah that's probably for the best," Eris said in quiet agreement. But in truth she didn't really care, it'd made Rey smile. Her eyes opened at feeling Rey's head turn down, almost hearing her mind turning from how hard she thought. "Finn told me about the map on the way over to the base," she said feeling Rey hold her breath. "Considering he's the last jedi and you're, something, I'm guessing you'll be leaving soon."

"Tomorrow," she breathed in answer staring at the floor. Eris' hard voice alone told Rey all she needed to know. "When are you leaving?"

"After you fall asleep."

Rey almost flinched from how quickly Eris had responded, how thoughtlessly, as though it were the obvious answer. "Where will you go?" she asked wondering if maybe she'd be able to find her.

"Haven't figured that out yet."

She hadn't missed a beat, and it left Rey with the heavy realization that this was goodbye. It was something she'd only said once, to Finn when he'd wanted to run away, and it hurt her just as much now as it had then. "When will you come back?" Rey expected Eris to say she wasn't, it's what it felt like – like someone was pressing into her chest so hard her heart had stopped. At the lack of response Rey sat up turning to Eris, her chest against her arm, their noses nearly touching as Eris turned to her.

Eris didn't know why she'd ever thought Rey reminded her of herself, the kid was nothing like her – she'd seen some of the worst in the world and still held onto hope, still able to recognize beauty when found. She'd convinced herself Rey was just a kid who needed protecting, a dose of some tough reality because there was very little good left to be found in the world; but it was Eris who'd been given the reality check, who was shown there were still things worth fighting for. Rey was so much like him. "When you ask me to I guess," Eris answered seeing it surprise her.

That little flame was glowing just a little brighter, Rey stared at Eris' gentle face and wished she'd found her sooner or that she'd stayed longer. Anything for it to just be the two of them, rather than a galaxy apart. "It's my turn to find you."

Grinning Eris stretched her aching legs and turned away from her. "I'll warn ya kid, I don't make it easy," she said crossing her arms as she leaned back, prepared to sleep for a bit herself.

"I've found you gotta work for the better things in life."

Her eyes opened at Rey's words, at their double meaning. She turned to Rey to find her young innocent face staring back. "You'll make your boyfriend jealous with talk like that," she said watching first the widening of Rey's eyes, then the darkening of her cheeks before she turned away embarrassed. Eris laughed softly to herself as she settled back with Rey half pressed against her side. "Told ya I won't make it easy."

Rey turned to her sharply realizing she was only teasing, and jabbed her elbow into Eris' side seeing her smile. But Rey herself relented and a grin pulled on her mouth. She leaned against Eris, storing the feel of her to memory for the lonely nights ahead of her.

…

A swirling array of alarmed beeps had Poe sitting up bleary eyed squinting as the unwelcome light turned on. "What's goin on buddy?" he asked swinging his legs out of the bed as he looked down at his droid.

BB-8 rolled back and shuffled through its records before playing the holorecording. At the sight of a familiar head of wild pale hair Poe slid off the bed and onto his knees hoping to get a better look at Eris' face, realizing this was recent given her clothes were now black. Of course she would've changed, her white suite was ruined.

"I've always been better on my own," her startling airy voice said as she knelt in front of the droid. It gave a low regretful whine in response but she only shook her head and pushed herself onto her feet. "He's your master, you know he's not gonna let me leave." She stared down at BB-8, her head turned to the side, a look Poe recognized as her realizing something – and with her next words he knew she'd figured out BB-8 was recording her. "Tell him I said see ya later." She slowly turned to make down the hall but she exhaled and was stopped by her own resolve, which had her looking over her shoulder at where BB-8 was with his head turned back to look up at her. "You're not bad for a droid."

Eris walked down the empty hangar, or rather a lifeless hangar as it was heavily populated by the Resistance's best ships. She'd chosen a small starfighter, big enough for her, a gun to use if needed, but it wasn't necessarily a ship made for war – it wouldn't be greatly missed. It rumbled loudly as it warmed up, and she stood beneath it checking to see she had everything she'd come with – well, maybe not everything.

A soft sound broke through the noise of her ship, it was skin striking a hard surface sounding like a clap. Turning Eris found Poe jogging to meet her, bare feet slapping on the cold floor, his disheveled hair hanging over his eyes. "Damn droid," she muttered realizing BB-8 woke him up, as she'd asked it not to. "Look," she called over the roaring of the engine, "I know what you're gonna say but I wasn't made for th-"

She was silenced by his body slamming into her, his arms wound tight around her shoulders trapping her against him. Blinking she stood with her arms half raised as though to return his embrace, his cheek pressed hers, his heart beating beneath her chest. How many years had it been, she wondered, finding that this felt so very familiar. With her next breath she placed her hands on his back holding him, and as she exhaled her hands slid around his waist encircling him.

"We'll meet again," he said, his words leaving his mouth directly into her ear. The strength of her arms had surprised him, he honestly didn't know if he could force her off of him, though he wasn't in the mind to try. It was a comfortable strength, somehow he was the one ending up being held and he couldn't help but feel like it was only fitting.

He could've stood there all night, but the moment passed and Eris unwound her arms letting her hands rest on his hips as she gently pushed him into letting her go. When he stepped back, or rather leaned back because he was still pressed against her with his face now an inch from hers, she said; "Can't promise I won't try to kill you."

His smile was warm, handsome, as he stared at her expressionless face – hearing all he needed in those fond words. "Wouldn't be fun if you didn't," he answered watching her eyes crinkle as she smiled in return.

Giving him a playful shove she turned back to the starfighter and climbed the ladder into the cockpit. Poe kept his eyes on her as he stepped back gaining distance from the ship, watching as she pulled it around. She didn't give him another passing glance, and he didn't expect her to. He stood alone on the hangar watching her ship disappear into the night, the glowing light from her tail darting across the star-filled sky. A shooting star. He smiled, closed his eyes, and made a wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends part one. The rest of the story will coincide with the movie releases. But I do thank all of you for reading and sticking with me, it really means a lot.


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